Soft-Matter and Innovation Workshop

The Harvard MRSEC hosted a four-day workshop on Soft-Matter and Innovations that brought together over 250 researchers with participation of members from over a dozen of the MRSECs for a very successful inter-MRSEC activity. The first two days featured leaders from the MRSECs along with other prominent researchers on recent scientific advances in soft materials, from biological matter to microfluidics to novel concepts in material science. The third day focused on industry with scientific leaders discussing innovation in both large and small companies, including start-up formation. The final day was devoted to undergraduate education with talks on new methods of introducing soft matter in the undergraduate curriculum and other pedagogical developments in the material sciences. Following the formal presentations, there were networking and poster sessions with postdoctoral fellows and graduate students to allow for more detailed interaction among the researchers and attendees.