Integrative Graduate
Education and
Research Traineeship

Highlight

IGERT Student-Organized Energy Materials Forum at 2013 Spring Materials Research Society conference

IGERT Organizers of the MRS Energy Materials Forum

Projects:

IGERT: ConvEne--Conversion of Energy Through Molecular...

Institution:

University of California at Santa Barbara

Primary Strategic Goal:

Discovery: Foster research that will advance the frontiers of knowledge, emphasizing areas of greatest opportunity and potential benefit and establishing the Nation as a global leader in fundamental transformational science and engineering.

Secondary Strategic Goal:

Learning: Build the Nation's research capability through critical investments in advanced instrumentation, facilities, cyber infrastructure, and experimental tools.

Achievement/Results

UCSB ConvEne (Conversion of Energy) IGERT Fellows Lauren Misch and Kate Barteau and University of South Dakota IGERT Fellows Ying Bao and Luther Mahoney co-organized the Energy Materials Forum at the 2013 Spring Materials Research Society conference in San Francisco, CA. The forum brought together researchers from a variety of energy-related fields. The forum sought to highlight the challenges with current materials and devices in energy applications and the design of novel materials for future energy harvesting and storage; address careers in alternative energy, policies and markets; provided both an academic and industrial perspective of the current state of energy needs; offered insights into various energy fields including solar, water, biomass conversion, geothermal and wind energy; and facilitated networking between students and researchers to help generate new collaborations. Experts in energy issues from academia, industry and national laboratories gave presentations and engaged in discussions regarding the current energy market and potential technologies on the horizon. A networking poster session with presentations by approximately 50 graduate students engaged in the field of alternative energy, was included. The forum was an excellent way for the participants to exchange ideas, interact with peers and seek potential collaboration opportunities.

Address Goals

The invited guests and presentations were all in the area of energy research which is an important focus of both IGERTs. In addition, the opportunity provided the students valuable experience in organizing a symposium at a large conference, working with a large organization like the Materials Research Society, and cooperating across IGERT programs for this effort.