Research

Registration now open for Penn State's marquee materials research event

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Registration is now open for Penn State’s annual Materials Day, to be held Oct. 12-13 as a hybrid event both virtually and on the University Park campus. This year’s theme is "The Intersection of Materials, Manufacturing and Sustainability."  

Materials Day 2021 is the marquee event for the Penn State materials research community, both a celebration of accomplishments and a look at what is up and coming in materials science and engineering.  

“Our plan is to hold Materials Day as a hybrid in-person/remote event that we believe will offer the best of both worlds,” said Clive Randall, Penn State director of the Materials Research Institute and distinguished professor of materials science and engineering. “Our hybrid event model gives in-person attendees an opportunity to reengage after more than a year in pandemic mode while at the same time allowing remote attendees to interact with our community as well.”  

Highlights of the event include: 

  • Opening address by Lora Weiss, Penn State senior vice president for research.
  • Two keynote addresses: 
  • Peter Rozelle, a Penn State alumnus, adviser on mineral resources to the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and retired headquarters programs manager for the U.S. Department of Energy, will present “Reduction of Rare Earth Compounds to Metal: A Key Component in the Supply Chain.” 
  • Nicole Camilleri, a packaging sustainability expert with Nestlé USA, and Jan Bruecklmeier, packaging manager with Nestlé USA, will present "Food Packaging Sustainability: Challenges and the Need for Change." 
  • Lunch provided each day.
  • Morning coffee networking sessions each day.
  • Tours of the Penn State Millennium Science Center’s labs. 
  • Two poster sessions: Both sets of posters will be available as an in-person session and a brief pre-recorded version. There also will be two 30-minute opportunities for virtual attendees to meet and engage with the two sets of poster presenters.
  • Reception on the Millennium Science Center lawn, featuring new Materials Research Institute faculty. 
  • Breakout sessions covering a variety of materials research topics.

More information, including how to register, can be found at https://www.mri.psu.edu/MaterialsDay. The final event schedule and format will be pending Penn State COVID-19 protocols during event time. Materials Day is organized and produced by the Penn State Materials Research Institute.  

 

Last Updated August 20, 2021