Supporting Students and New Faculty Attendance at the Fourth International Conference on Borate Glasses, Crystals, and Melts; Cedar Rapids, IA; July 14 - 18, 2002

Coe College, Cedar Rapids IA

Investigators

Abstract

New scientists and students will be strongly encouraged to attend the Fourth International Conference on Borate Glasses, Crystals, and Melts. This meeting will take place at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA from July 14-18, 2002. In particular, women and minority members will be actively sought out and invited to participate in the meeting. There are many recent developments within the field that will be addressed including: new variations of spectroscopic techniques that are capable of probing the intermediate range order in borate glasses, novel preparation techniques, reports of new non-oxide boron-containing glasses and crystals, industrial uses of borates, improvements in computer modeling of atomic structure, and recent advances in out knowledge of related crystalline compounds. %%% The most important aspect of this project will be the very strong student participation in this meeting, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. We think our approach is justified because it will result in: a much stronger than usual involvement of students at a professional meeting, more scientific interactions between students from different research groups, and feedback to those who make presentations from an excellent cross-section of experienced scientists in the field. A critical mass of 50 to 75 students will encourage their full participation in the conference. Several discussion sessions targeting students and new scientists will be scheduled. We believe this approach may serve as a model for student and new scientist participation in scientific conferences in the future. ***