Travel Grant for Third Chemical Engineering Conference for Collaborative Research in Eastern Mediterranean (EMCC-3)

Ohio State University Research Foundation -Do Not Use, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

Jacques L. Zakin Ohio State Research Foundation "Travel Grant for Third Mediterranean Chemical Engineering Conference for Collaborative Research." This grant supports travel funds for U.S. academic representatives to attend the 3rd Chemical Engineering Conference for Collaborative Research in Eastern Mediterranean (EMCC-3) to be held in Thessaloniki, Greece, May 14-16, 2003. The participating countries are Turkey, Greece, Israel and the U.S. Academic chemical engineers from other Eastern Mediterranean countries will also be invited. The purpose of the Workshop is to acquaint researchers from the participating countries with current research in five areas in chemical engineering: Advanced Materials and Processes, Chemical and Catalytic Processes, Bioengineering, Transport Phenomena and Separation Processes, and Process Systems Engineering, in order to promote collaborative research among them. These areas were selected as they are key topics in research in all of the countries. The major theme of EMCC-3 will be Nanoscience in Chemical Engineering. This is the third conference. The two previous successful conferences were at the Technion, in Haifa, Israel in March 1999 with representatives from Turkey, Israel and the U.S. and in Ankara and Istanbul in May, 2001 with participation by chemical engineers from Greece as well as the other three countries. Prof. Andreas Acrivos of the City College of the City University of New York will be Honorary Chair of the Conference. Three distinguished U.S. chemical engineers will be Plenary Speakers: Prof. Matthew Tirrell of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Prof. George Stephanopoulis of MIT and Prof. Ignacio Grossman of Carnegie Mellon University. In addition, 25 U.S. speakers will be invited from the 5 areas, a blend of senior researchers and promising young investigators. There will be five Keynote Lecturers from the U.S, one in each research area. Distinguished invited speakers from the other three countries have committed to participate and 20 speakers from each country will be invited. There will also be poster presentations from these countries, some presented by graduate students. In addition, several researchers who developed collaborations since the first Conference will be invited to participate in a special session in order to help encourage other future collaborators. Special travel supplements also will be provided to 5 participants to visit and lecture in countries other than Greece--Turkey and Israel-to develop and/or promote collaboration. Other US participants are expected to attend with approval from the organizers and with support from other financial sources. Broader Impacts: The two previous EMCC Conferences have had major impacts in acquainting US, Turkish, Israeli and Greek academics with each other and with their research interests and capabilities and in fostering research collaborations. The proposed third conference will provide further opportunities and especially with the many Greek researchers expected to attend. The added benefit of these conferences is the exposure they have provided for large numbers of graduate students from the three countries to interact directly with both seasoned and young faculty researchers from the US and the other countries. Another benefit has been the fruitful discussions on curriculum issues among faculty of the participating countries. The U.S. will benefit from this program by virtue of the productive relationships that are expected to emerge leading to the transfer of expertise. Draft reports summarizing the activities in each research area will be prepared at the meeting by the U.S. Leaders in each research area with the help of their counterparts from the other three countries and will then be circulated for editing and to prepare the final report. This report will be posted on a general EMCC Web Site to be developed. In addition, it is expected that about 30 papers from the proposed Conference will be published in Chemical Engineering Communications as for EMCC-2.