In late October, MRSEC directors met at the National Science Foundation headquarters to discuss events, activities, and accomplishments over the past year as well as explore new avenues of research and discovery. Presentations ranged from DMR achievements to the need to strengthen scientific communication.

NSF Stafford I, Room 375 8:00 AM Coffee available 8:15 AM Introductions of new Center Directors Margaret Gardel, U. Chicago Ali Yazdani, Princeton Jim Hone, Columbia

The goal of this workshop is to spark interactions and collaborations between the research groups in the Triangle area. The workshop format is very informal, and an emphasis is placed on spurring conversations between researchers in all areas of soft matter research. “Soft matter” here is defined very broadly, and it includes (but is not limited to) work in polymers, colloid science, synthetic and naturally occurring biomaterials, and condensed matter physics.

Celebrate NanoDays 2015 ! Saturday, March 28, 2015 (1 p.m. – 4 p.m.) Westfield Shopping Mall (61st & O Street, Lincoln, NE)

The 61st New England Complex Fluids worskhop will be held at the Harvard MRSEC on Friday, December 5, 2014. The quarterly workshops, which rotate throughout the New England area, encourage collaboration among researchers from industry and academe studying Soft Condensed Matter.This is the Friday of MRS week in Boston so if you are in town, please join us!

The next meeting of the MRSEC education directors is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, December 3rd and 4th at MIT in Cambridge, MA. We will begin at 3:00 on Wednesday with a discussion of the network's goals and meetings of the subcommittees. We will be finished by 4:00 on Thursday afternoon. Please mark your calendar. Further details will be sent at a later date.

This Symposium in honor of Eric Mazur aims to bring together a diverse collection of scientists and educators whose career paths have intersected with Eric’s and who share the passion Eric has for science, education and innovation. On the scientific side, the shared focus is the use of light to elucidate complex phenomena in materials while emphasizing the intuitive approach that has often characterized Eric’s contributions to the field.

Preliminary Agenda for MRSEC Director's Meeting NSF Stafford I, Room 375 October 14, 2014 8:00 AM Coffee available 8:15 AM Welcoming remarks Dr. F. Fleming Crim, Asst. Director, MPS 8:30 AM Update on DMR and Upcoming Initiatives Dr. Mary E. Galvin, Director, DMR

You're invited to come and learn more about the latest research in computational materials/chemistry and to mingle with computational scientists who work on UW campus and beyond. The next seminar takes place in January at 3:30 pm in Room 265 of Materials Science & Engineering building.

One goal of this workshop is to learn as much as possible about resources and needs at regional institutions. We are lucky enough to have participants from a wide range of institutions, include multiple companies, UW systems schools, and national laboratories. We would therefore like to reach out directly to all of you and ask if you would be interested in presenting some information on your institution’s resources and needs.