NSF-MRSEC Program Booth XXV International Materials Research Conference Cancun, Mexico August 14-19, 2016 Mark C. Hersam, NU-MRSEC Director MRSEC Directors Meeting October 18, 2016 1
XXV International Materials Research Congress The Materials Research Society (MRS) and the Sociedad Mexicana de Materiales (SMM) host the International Materials Research Congress (IMRC) annually in Cancun, Mexico. ~1,500 attendees from ~40 countries.
Booth Logistics: August 15-17 Staffed by William Kung and Mark Hersam (Northwestern MRSEC) and Michelle McCombs (Ohio State MRSEC) MRSEC banner stand borrowed from UCSB MRSEC Brochure created for the overall MRSEC program Additional brochures solicited from individual MRSECs MRSEC booth centrally located at booth #11
Booth Advertisement @ Plenary Talk Mark Hersam advertised the booth during his plenary talk on Monday, August 15
Additional MRSEC Booth Presence After appealing to IMRC organizers, additional booth locations were allocated: MS&E Technology and Innovation Exhibition, Tuesday evening, 8/16 Graduate Programs Exhibition, Wednesday evening, 8/17
Impact 117 total registered visitors to the MRSEC booth including undergraduate/graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and industry reps
Demographics - Gender
Demographics - Ethnicity
Demographics – Professional Background
Domestic vs. International Institutions
Booth Visitor Interests: Students Undergraduate Students REU opportunities (U.S. students) Graduate schools Graduate Students Postdoctoral research opportunities Visa logistics Use of MRSEC shared facilities
Booth Visitor Interests: Postdocs Postdoctoral Researchers MRSEC research projects Postdoc opportunities in U.S. Visa logistics Use of MRSEC shared facilities
Booth Visitor Interests: Faculty MRSEC research Graduate school and postdoc opportunities in U.S. Outreach collaboration opportunities Use of MRSEC shared facilities MRSEC program and funding/proposal logistics Others Vendor representatives looking for equipment sales opportunity to MRSECs MRS Executive Director/IMRC VP of Board of Directors exploring partnerships for 2017 IMRC (e.g., engaging student chapters for career advice/opportunities) Commercialization opportunities and advice for the U.S. market
Follow Up Activities and Future Plans Created database of booth visitors who expressed interest in receiving future MRSEC program news and updates Sent follow-up email to booth visitors that includes mrsec.org, prem- mrsec.org, and mrfn.org links and other general MRSEC program information Shared database with MRSEC Education Directors to disseminate REU/RET and other professional development news and opportunities to interested students, postdocs, and faculty Shared database with MRFN to promote availability and use of MRSEC shared facilities and technical expertise Will solicit scientific images and other content from individual MRSECs to feature in next year’s booth