Welcome
to San Francisco and the 2005 Spring Meeting of the Materials
Research Society. The Spring meeting chairs (view
contact info) —Joanna Aizenberg, Oliver Kraft,
Neville Moody, and Ramamoorthy Ramesh — worked
with their symposium organizers to assemble what I think
was an outstanding array of technical
symposia and special events that made for an outstanding
week. The program was reflective of the broad and innovative
perspectives that these meeting chairs have brought to
the Society, and also retains the core symposia that we
have always associated with MRS Meetings.
There
were a few unique happenings at this Spring Meeting that
enlivened the experience for many attendees. For the
first time, the Meeting involved a “ Science as
Art” competition
(view complete info). The
competition complemented Symposium
X presentations on materials used for flavors, fragrances,
and art. It also coincided with the San Francisco opening
of an exhibition of sculpture highlighting the interplay between
art and science. The competition, with entries on display in
Moscone West, was open to all meeting attendees. Three $400.00
awards were presented to winning entries at the meeting.
Other
topics in the Symposium X sessions were biomineralization,
silicon sculpturing, and correlated electrons. OYI
awardee Harold Hwang’s presentation on complex oxide
heterostructures was also part of this traditional mid-day
symposium for the non-specialist.
The
symposium tutorial program featured
a record 12 tutorials. While most were designed for newcomers
and students, others focused on new and exciting developments
for the experienced practitioner. One of the tutorials
was presented in part by students and young researchers,
in an effort to encourage a more open and facilitated idea
exchange between the presenters and attending students.
I am
especially excited about an interactive workshop, “The
Road to Entrepreneurship,” which was intended
for would-be entrepreneurs who are interested in learning
about company formation and the venture capital fund raising
process, as well as for researchers who are considering
employment with venture-backed private companies. The
presenter was Bill Frezza, general partner of Adams Capital
Management, Inc., a national venture capital firm that
manages $700 million and invests in first-stage semiconductor, information
technology, telecommunications, and advanced materials
companies.
I would
also call your attention to some of the other offerings
at this meeting, including special sessions discussing
trends in research funding, as well as the plenary
session and award ceremony, equipment
exhibit, and the networking opportunities associated
with Symposium X,
the poster sessions, and other forums. I hope that you had
the opportunity to benefit from many or all of these activities,
and found time to meet with many of your colleagues, see something
of this wonderful city, and, of course, enjoy a high-quality
excellent beer at the poster sessions.
My
thanks and congratulations are due to all those who worked
to make this such an exciting meeting, including the meeting
chairs, symposium organizers, and MRS staff. I hope that
everyone attending had an enjoyable and productive week.
David J. Eaglesham
2005 MRS President
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