Frontiers of Science

Find a Conference

Alert - GRC systems are offline for approximately one week. For more information, please click here.

Polymers

Gordon Research Conference

Synthesis, Structure, Sustainability and Function

June 4 - 9, 2023

Chairs Tara Y. Meyer and Robert B. Grubbs

Vice Chairs Emily Pentzer and Thomas H. Epps

Mount Holyoke College

50 College Street

South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States

Venue and Travel Information

Conference Description

The Polymers GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.

The conference will focus on both synthetic and biologically derived polymers and all aspects of their chemistry, including synthesis, structural characterization, and applications, with particular emphasis on new methods for polymer synthesis, sustainable polymer development, and innovative applications of polymers in medicine, energy, electronics, and advanced manufacturing.

In addition to formal presentations, the GRC will provide many opportunities for professional networking through discussion sessions, daily poster sessions, and recreational activities.

This conference will be preceded by a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), which will enable junior scientists to present their research to their peers and to network with current leaders from academia, government, and industry.

GRS attendees will choose the most outstanding GRS lectures, which will be highlighted and included in the GRC speaking lineup. Together, the Polymers GRS and GRC comprise an exciting, influential, and important event in the field of polymer science.

Related Meeting

This GRC will be held in conjunction with the "Polymers" Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRS in addition to an application for the GRC. Refer to the associated GRS program page for more information.

Conference Program

Sunday
2:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Arrival and Check-in
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm	Introductory Comments by GRC Staff / Welcome and Introduction from the Chairs
7:40 pm - 9:30 pm	Synthesis: New Routes to Precisely Controlled Structures Discussion Leaders: Zachariah Page (The University of Texas at Austin, United States) and Jessica Lamb (University of Minnesota, United States)
7:40 pm - 8:20 pm	Garret Miyake (Colorado State University, United States) "Polymerization Catalysis for the Synthesis of Well-Defined Polymers"
8:20 pm - 8:35 pm	Discussion
8:35 pm - 9:15 pm	Frieder Jaekle (Rutgers University - Newark, United States) "B-N Units as Versatile Motifs in the Design of Innovative Polymeric Materials"
9:15 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Monday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
8:30 am - 9:00 am	Group Photo
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Polymers Against Pathogens Discussion Leaders: Abigail Knight (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States), Sarah Goh (Williams College, United States) and Symone Alexander (Auburn University, United States)
9:00 am - 9:40 am	Laura Kiessling (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States) "Polymeric Materials for Modulating Immunity"
9:40 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:30 am	Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:10 am	Theresa Reineke (University of Minnesota, United States) "Functional Polymers from Natural Products Facilitate Cellular Delivery of Nucleic Acids"
11:10 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 12:10 pm	Jia Niu (Boston College, United States) "Polymer Chemistry-Inspired Approaches to Precision Polysaccharides and Glycomimetics"
12:10 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm	The GRC Power Hour™ The GRC Power Hour™ is designed to address diversity and inclusion in the scientific workplace by providing a safe environment for informal and meaningful conversations amongst colleagues of all career stages. The program supports the professional growth of all members of our communities, including ethnicity, race and/or gender identity by providing an open forum for discussion and mentoring. Organizers: Kathryn Beers (National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States) and Davita Watkins (The Ohio State University, United States)
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Sustainable Polymers Discussion Leader: Kathryn Beers (National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States)
7:30 pm - 8:10 pm	Scott Trenor (Association of Plastics Recyclers, United States) "Opportunities for Innovation: Plastics, the Oval Economy, and Resource Minimization"
8:10 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 9:10 pm	Megan Robertson (University of Houston, United States) "Lignin Resources as a Platform for Developing High Performance Polymers"
9:10 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Tuesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Controlling Polymerization and Material Properties through Self-Assembly and External Stimuli Discussion Leaders: Megan Hill (Colorado State University, United States), Aleksandr Zhukhovitskiy (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States) and Davita Watkins (The Ohio State University, United States)
9:00 am - 9:40 am	Paula Diaconescu (University of California-Los Angeles, United States) "Redox-Switchable Polymerization"
9:40 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:30 am	Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:10 am	Julia Kalow (Northwestern University, United States) "From Mechanism to Materials in Photocontrolled Polymer Networks"
11:10 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 12:10 pm	Lei Fang (Texas A&M University, United States) "Conjugated Ladder Polymers: The Ladder to Materials Innovation and Advance"
12:10 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Automating Polymer Synthesis Discussion Leaders: Melanie Chiu (Michigan State University, United States) and Adam Gormley (Rutgers University, United States)
7:30 pm - 8:10 pm	Frank Leibfarth (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States) "Opportunities and Challenges for Automation in Polymer Science"
8:10 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 9:10 pm	Tanja Junkers (Monash University, Australia) "Automated Polymer Synthesizers by Harnessing the Power of Machine Learning"
9:10 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Wednesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Late-Breaking Topics Discussion Leaders: Marco Giles (Prairie View A&M University, United States) and Sergio Granados-Focil (Clark University, United States)
9:00 am - 9:20 am	Beth Elacqua (The Pennsylvania State University, United States) "Single-Chain Polymer Nanoparticles as Efficient Photoredox Catalysts"
9:20 am - 9:30 am	Discussion
9:30 am - 9:50 am	Will Gutekunst (Georgia Institute of Technology, United States) "Developing New Strategies for Polymer Breakdown and Recycling"
9:50 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:20 am	Rachel Letteri (University of Virginia, United States) "Stereocomplexes as Tunable Cross-links in Dynamic Polymer Networks"
10:20 am - 10:30 am	Discussion
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 am	Maxwell Robb (Caltech, United States) "Molecular Design Strategies for Mechanochemically Active Polymers"
11:20 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 11:50 am	Adrianne Rosales (University of Texas at Austin, United States) "Mechanisms to Control Chain Stiffness in Bioinspired Polymer Gels"
11:50 am - 12:00 pm	Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:20 pm	Quentin Michaudel (Texas A&M University, United States) "Harnessing Modern Organic Reactions for the Synthesis of Polymers with Precise Structures and Tunable Properties"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Designing New Conjugated Polymers Discussion Leaders: Helen Tran (University of Toronto, Canada) and Laure Kayser (University of Delaware, United States)
7:30 pm - 8:10 pm	Tae-Lim Choi (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) "Polymerization of Alkynes via Olefin Metathesis: Cyclopolymerization to Cascade Polymerization"
8:10 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 9:10 pm	Rebekka Klausen (Johns Hopkins University, United States) "Conjugated Polymers Inspired by Crystalline Silicon"
9:10 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Thursday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
8:30 am - 9:00 am	Business Meeting Nominations for the Next Vice Chair(s); Complete the GRC Evaluation Forms; Discuss Future Dates and Venue; Election of the Next Vice Chair(s)
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Probing Polymer Properties and Behavior Discussion Leaders: Jimmy Lawrence (Louisiana State University, United States) and Christina Cooley (Trinity University, United States)
9:00 am - 9:40 am	Joaquin Rodriguez-Lopez (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States) "Redoxmer Electrolytes: Electrochemical Characterization, Dynamics, and Deconstruction Prospects for the Size Exclusion Redox Flow Battery"
9:40 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:30 am	Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:10 am	Jennifer Laaser (University of Pittsburgh, United States) "Mechanochemical Activation in Nanostructured Block Copolymers and Networks"
11:10 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 11:40 am	Introduction by Discussion Leader
11:40 am - 12:00 pm	Ty Christoff-Tempesta (University of Delaware, United States) "Depolymerization and Upcycling of Lignin-Derived Methacrylate Polymers"
12:00 pm - 12:05 pm	Discussion
12:05 pm - 12:25 pm	Dylan Freas (Stanford University, United States) "Imparting Hydrolytic Degradability to Commercial PEG via Direct C–H Functionalization"
12:25 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Designing Polymers for Depolymerization and Degradation Discussion Leaders: Erin Stache (Princeton University, United States) and Samantha Kristufek (Texas Tech University, United States)
7:30 pm - 8:10 pm	Elizabeth Gillies (The University of Western Ontario, Canada) "Design and Applications of End-to-End Depolymerization"
8:10 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 9:10 pm	Wei You (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States) "Can an Old Dog Learn New Tricks? Rejuvenating RAFT Polymerization"
9:10 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Friday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am	Departure

Contributors

Craig Hawker

Conference Links

Conference History Polymers (GRS)

Similar Conferences

Registration Fees Additional Fee Info

Similar Gordon Research Conferences and Seminars

Additive Manufacturing of Soft Materials

August 11 - 16, 2024

Artificial Molecular Switches and Motors

June 22 - 27, 2025

Drug Carriers in Medicine and Biology

August 4 - 9, 2024

Multiscale Mechanochemistry and Mechanobiology

July 21 - 26, 2024

Plastics Recycling and Upcycling

July 13 - 18, 2025

Polymers (GRS)

June 7 - 8, 2025

Science of Adhesion

July 20 - 25, 2025

Silk Proteins and the Transition to Biotechnologies

July 6 - 11, 2025

Contact Us

MyGRC Account
Check your application status, complete your registration, update your poster, change your rooming preference, make a bus reservation, print an invitation letter, print a receipt (which includes verification that you are presenting a poster) or print an invoice by logging into your account.

GRC Venues
Everything you need to know, to plan your trip.

FAQs
Instant answers to common questions.

Tell us how we can help

Call us and leave a detailed message at: 401-783-4011

*This voicemail is only checked once daily. Due to high volume of requests during the conference season, responses may be delayed.

You have no notifications