UD CHARM joined Princeton University’s Center for Complex Materials to host a one-day symposium to promote early-career researchers in the field of Soft Matter. Participation brought together faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and senior undergrads with a focus on those from under-represented groups, to celebrate diversity and creativity in this emerging field.
AGENDA: This virtual event was held on Friday, October 23, 2020 and featured presentations from graduate students and postdocs, keynote lectures by Paula Hammond (MIT) and Joseph DeSimone (Carbon Inc/Stanford), professional development activities, and an introduction to the field for undergraduates.
8:45-9 AM: Opening remarks
9-9:40 AM: Keynote lecture by Paula Hammond (MIT)
9:40-10 AM: A general introduction to soft matter
10 AM-12 PM: Talks from selected speakers on biological soft matter
- Danielle Scheff, University of Chicago, Interaction of active processes in actin networks
- Helen Ansell, University of Pennsylvania, Threading the spindle: a geometric study of chiral liquid crystal polymer microparticles
- Justin Bobo, Carnegie Mellon, Understanding mechanobiology control over neurotransmitter responses through a nerve integrated tissue on chip system
- Victoria Muir, University of Pennsylvania, Influence of microgel fabrication technique on granular hydrogel properties
- Kolade Adebowale, Stanford, Enhanced substrate stress relaxation promotes filopodia-mediated cell migration
- Lexy Diezmann, University of Utah, A liquid crystal compartmentalizes meiotic DNA repair signals
- Ada Undieh, Stanford, Live cell rheometer: integrated imaging and mechanical measurement of living cell multilayers and tissues
12-12:40 PM: Keynote lecture by Joseph DeSimone (Carbon Inc/Stanford)
12:40-1 PM: Break
1-2:30 PM: Talks from selected speakers on polymeric soft matter
- Rachel Zhuojun Huang, Stanford, Electro-active ionomer interface for stabilizing lithium metal batteries
- Katherine Mizrahi Rodriguez, MIT, Functionalized microporous polymers for energy-efficient gas separations
- Diego M. Alzate-Sánchez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Environment decontamination using sugar-based materials
- Kathryn O’Harra, University of Alabama, Designing high-performance ionenes and ionic liquid composites with tailorable sequencing, hierarchical structuring, and tunable architectures
- R. Konane Bay, Princeton, What controls failure in ultrathin polymer films?
2:30-4:15 PM: Talks from selected speakers on colloids, grains, and soft mechanics
- Meera Ramaswamy, Cornell, Determining the force networks in shear thickening suspensions
- Melody Lim, University of Chicago, Acoustically levitated granular matter
- Manuel Dominguez, University of Texas at Austin, Colloidal nanocrystal gels using dynamic covalent chemistry
- Chrisy Xiyu Du, Harvard, Building block and self-assembly design with magnetic handshake materials
- Matthew Grasinger, Air Force Research Laboratory, Architected elastomer networks for optimal electromechanical response
- Anika Jain, Stanford, Transient shear rheology of rigid particle suspensions in dilute polymer solutions
4:15-5 PM: Parallel breakout sessions for
- Undergraduates interested in academia
- Graduate students interested in academia
- Postdocs interested in academia
- Those interested in industry/entrepreneurship.
Thank you to the over 400 registrants representing 89 institutions in 16 different countries! We’re glad you could join this incredible gathering, and look forward to hosting again with our Princeton colleagues again soon. Follow us for event updates.
Organized by: Sujit Datta, Thomas Epps, LaShanda Korley, Rodney Priestley, Howard Stone.
Supported by: Princeton DFR, PRISM, MAE, CBE, SEAS, DOF, Graduate School; NSF MRSEC 2011750 (PCCM) and 2011824 (CHARM).