Events Calendar

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Learn more about currently scheduled AVS technical meetings and the benefits of endorsement or sponsorship. Click an event title to open a window with further information. Use the "jump to:" menu above to access the calendar for a specific month and year.

  • Monday, May 21, 2012 - Thursday, May 24, 2012

    Event: AVS New Mexico Chapter Symposium and Short Course Offering
    Web: http://www-chne.unm.edu/avs/avsinformation.htm

    Technical sessions include invited presentations by nationally recognized experts, as well as contributed presentations. Short courses are offered in basic vacuum technology and advanced subjects such as leak detection, partial pressure analysis and surface and interface analysis. Displays of state of the art vacuum, surface analysis, and thin film deposition equipment from over 30 vendors can be found at the equipment exhibit. A substantial portion of the Symposium proceeds is channeled into a scholarship program for deserving students using vacuum techniques in their research

     

    Symposium Schedule

    Short Courses: Monday, May 21, 2012 - Thursday, May 24, 2012

    Symposium & Poster Presentations: Tuesday, 05/22/2012

    Vendor Show: Tuesday, 05/22/2012

  • Tuesday, May 29, 2012 | 9AM-5PM

    Event: 56th International Conference on Electron, Ion, and Photon Beam Technology and Nanofabrication
    Location Hilton Waikoloa Village Hotel and Resort, Waikoloa, HI
    Web: http://www.eipbn.org

    EIPBN, the "3-Beams", Conference, is the premier conference on the science and technology of nanopatterning and applications. Traditionally focused on electron, ion, and photon beams, (the 3 beams), the technology of nanofabrication covered in this conference has grown to include nanoimprint and molecular self-assembly as well. This conference is the place to hear the newest techniques and the latest advances.

  • Thursday, May 31, 2012 | 9AM-5PM

    Event: AVS Michigan Chapter Spring Symposium
    Location Oakland University, Rochester Hills, Michigan

    Title: Micro and Nanotribology in MEMS, Manufacturing, and Automotive.

    This symposium will provide an opportunity for scientists and engineers to meet and discuss recent advances in science and technology of materials, surface, interfaces, processing and vacuum science and technology

  • Sunday, June 03, 2012 - Wednesday, June 06, 2012

    Event: Physical Electronic Conference
    Location University of Texas at Dallas
    Contact: Yves Chabal
    Web: http://mse.utdallas.edu/PEC/

    The annual Physical Electronics Conference provides a forum for the dissemination and discussion of new research results in the physics and chemistry of surfaces and interfaces. It features the prestigious Nottingham Prize Competition for best presentation based on doctoral research.Representative topics include electronic, chemical, magnetic and structural properties of interfaces; kinetics and dynamics of physical and chemical transformations at surfaces; formation, modeling and properties of nanoscale-mesoscale surface architectures; correlated electron effects at surfaces; biological interactions with surfaces; mechanisms of surface and interface growth and evolution; and energy and electron transfer processes across materials interfaces; and properties of chemically and structurally modified surfaces.

  • Wednesday, June 06, 2012 - Thursday, June 07, 2012

    Event: 6th Advanced Materials Characterization Workshop
    Location Frederick Seitz Materials Lab, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
    Contact: Mauro Sardela, e-mail: sardela@illinois.edu
    Web: http://mrl.illinois.edu/amc2012

    This workshop provides a critical, comparative and condensed overview of mainstream analytical techniques for materials characterization with emphasis on practical applications.

    The workshop will cover the following techniques: AFM, XPS, AES, XRD, XRR, SIMS, RBS, SEM, FIB, TEM, Raman, PL, ellipsometry and analysis of bio-materials. The workshop will also include an instrument vendors' show, where industrial scientists will introduce new instrumentation and discuss new applications and technologies.

  • Monday, June 11, 2012 - Tuesday, June 12, 2012

    Event: AVS New England Chapter Short Courses
    Location Burlington Marriott Hotel, Burlington, MA.
    Web: http://www2.avs.org/shortcourses/schedule/newengland/program.pdf

    The AVS New England Chapter Short Course Program is scheduled for June 11--12, 2012, in conjunction with the New England Chapter's Annual Symposium and Equipment Exhibition to be held at the Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA.
    Course Program
     
    • An Overview of Applied Vacuum Technology
    • High Resolution X-ray Reflection and Diffraction Methods for Thin Film Characterization
    • Photovoltaics: The Engineering, Technology and Application of Solar Cells
    • Sputter Deposition
    • Photolithography Process in IC Production

    Short course lengths vary from one day to two days, and the course levels vary from introductory to advanced. Some courses provide specific training for technicians, scientists, and engineers who intend to use the technology every day; other courses are geared toward providing overviews for supervisors, managers, and novices in these fields.

  • Monday, June 11, 2012 | 11AM-7PM

    Event: AVS New England Chapter Annual Symposium & Exhibits
    Location Burlington Marriott Hotel, Burlington, Massachusetts
    Web: http://www.avsnewengland.org

    The Annual Symposium of the AVS New England Chapter will be held Monday June 11th at the Burlington Marriott Hotel.  A Manufacturers' Exhibit will be held in conjunction with the Symposium.  The Exhibits will be open from 11 AM to 7 PM on Monday. The exhibit hours are designed to encourage and facilitate greater interaction between vendors and attendees.

  • Thursday, June 14, 2012 | 9AM-3PM

    Event: AVS Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter Meeting
    Location National Institute of Standards & Technology Gaithersburg, MD
    Contact: Jay Hendricks, e-mail: jay.hendricks@nist.gov
    Web: http://www2.avs.org/chapters/midatlantic/pdf/2012_Junmeeting.pdf

    The AVS Mid-Atlantic Chapter will be holding its regional meeting in the DC area on June 14, 2012. Our theme this year is “Focused Ion Beams,” and several local speakers will describe diverse research in this topic. We invite student posters in areas related to AVS research interests, and prizes will be awarded for the best ones.

  • Sunday, June 17, 2012 - Wednesday, June 20, 2012

    Event: 12th International Conference on Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD 2012)
    Location Westin Bellevue, Dresden Germany
    Contact: Uwe Schröder, Mato Knez, or Marcel Kovacs; e-mail:ald@namlab.com
    Web: http://www.ald-avs.org/

    The AVS Topical Conference on Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD 2012) will be a three-day meeting (preceded by one day of tutorials), dedicated to the science and technology of atomic layer controlled deposition of thin films. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is used to fabricate ultrathin and conformal thin film structures for many semiconductor and thin film device applicati ons. A unique attribute of ALD is that it uses sequential self-limiting surface reactions to achieve control of film growth in the monolayer or sub-monolayer thickness regime. ALD is receiving attention for its potential applications from advanced electronics, microsystems, and displays to energy capture and storage, solid state lighting, biotechnology, security, and consumer products - particularly for any advanced technologies that require control of film structure in the nanometer or sub-nanometer scale.

    ALD's unique capabilities promote tremendous diversity in potential applications with value for specialized, custom applications as well as mass manufacturing. Abstract submissions are encouraged in areas such as ALD manufacturability, equipment design, modeling and simulation, sensing and advanced process control, high throughput strategies, and emerging ALD applications to supplement a group of invited talks in these sessions.

  • Tuesday, June 19, 2012 - Friday, June 22, 2012

    Event: AVS Pacific Northwest Chapter Symposium

    The PNWAVS Annual Symposium in EMSL, PNNL will be held in conjunction with Surface Analysis '12, the annual topical conference sponsored by the AVS Applied Surface Science Division, is an interdisciplinary meeting to discuss advances in and applications of surface analysis.

    Topics will include, but are not limited to, environmental chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, advanced materials, and advanced surface science methods. In addition, there will be a workshop focusing on chemical imaging, and a retrospective commemorating the 50th anniversary of PNWAVS, the oldest chapter of AVS. A goal of this symposium is to promote interaction among all participants from industry, government, and universities.

  • Tuesday, June 19, 2012 - Friday, June 22, 2012

    Event: Surface Analysis 2012
    Location Pacific Northwest National Lab, Richland, WA, UNITED STATES
    Contact: Tiffany Kaspar; tiffany.kaspar@pnl.gov, 1-509-371-6503
    Web: http://www.emsl.pnl.gov/news/conferences/surface_analysis2012

    Surface Analysis '12, the annual topical conference sponsored by the AVS Applied Surface Science Division, is an interdisciplinary meeting to discuss advances in and applications of surface analysis. The symposium will be held jointly with the PNWAVS Annual Symposium in EMSL, PNNL. Topics will include, but are not limited to, environmental chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, advanced materials, and advanced surface science methods. In addition, there will be a workshop focusing on chemical imaging, and a retrospective commemorating the 50th anniversary of PNWAVS, the oldest chapter of AVS. A goal of this symposium is to promote interaction among all participants from industry, government, and universities.

  • Friday, June 22, 2012 - Friday, June 29, 2012

    Event: 21st International Conference on Ion Beam Analysis
    Location Seattle Marriott Waterfront, Seattle, WA
    Contact: Theva Thevuthasan; e-mail: theva@pnnl.gov

    The 21st International Conference on Ion Beam Analysis (IBA 21) will have the focus of analysis of advanced materials for energy and environment. Four Co-Chairs from National Laboratories of the Pacific Northwest, Sandia & Los Alamos will guide this biannual meeting of plenary talks, invited lectures and contributed presentations, including posters, with parallel sessions scheduled during the five day program. Over 300 attendees from around the world are expected to participate. Student involvement is strongly encouraged and financial support is being planned. A 2+ day vendor exhibit is also planned. The conference proceedings will be published in NIM B (Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B).

  • Monday, July 09, 2012 - Friday, July 13, 2012

    Event: 25th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference 2012
    Location Hyatt Hotel, Jeju, South Korea
    Contact: Cheol Jin; e-mail: cjlee@korea.ac.kr
    Web: http://www.ivnc2012.org/

    The 25th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference 2012 (IVNC 2012) will be held in Jeju island, Korea on July 9th (Mon.) ~ 13th (Fri.) , 2012. During conference, over 200 scientists and engineers from all over the world will report and discuss their recent research interest on vacuum micro and nanoelectronics. The topics will include the theory, fabrication, and characterization of vacuum micro/nanoelectronic materials and devices with applications to x-ray sources, lamps, information displays, microwave amplifiers, plasma devices, analytical instruments, satellites, e-beam sources, particle accelerators and sensors. The conference will have a four-day program which consists of plenary talks, invited talks, contributed talks and poster sessions. Especially, to encourage young scientists, several awards will be given to young researchers for outstanding contributions.

     

    ABSTRACT DEADLINE: March 23, 2012

  • Monday, July 23, 2012 - Friday, July 27, 2012

    Event: International Conference on Nanoscience + Technology (ICN+T2012)
    Location Paris, France
    Web: http://www.icnt2012.fr/

    Following Keystone, USA, in 2008 and Beijing, CHINA, in 2010, the 2012 International Conference on Nanoscience + Technology (ICN+T) will provide an international forum for discussion of the latest developments in nanoscale science and technology and recent advances in scanning probe microscopy and related techniques. In 2012, ICN+T will be held jointly with STM'12, in order to emphasize topics including scanning probe microscopy/spectroscopy and related instrumentation. This conference will also cover a range of topics in nanoscale science and technology, addressing the interdisciplinary, international nature of this exciting and rapidly growing field. AVS has sponsored this meeting in the past, and helped orginize it when in the US.

  • Monday, July 30, 2012 | 9AM-5PM

    Event: AVS Board of Directors' Meeting
    Location New York, NY

    In conjunction with a visit to AVS Headquarters

  • Thursday, September 06, 2012 | 9AM-5PM

    Event: AVS Prairie Chapter Symposium
    Location University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL

  • Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - Friday, September 21, 2012

    Event: AVS Rocky Mountain Chapter Short Courses

    AVS short courses provide training for technicians, scientists, and engineers in three broad categories: Vacuum and Equipment Technology; Materials and Interface Characterization; and Materials Processing.

  • Wednesday, September 19, 2012 | 1PM-8PM

    Event: AVS Minnesota Chapter Symposium & Exhibition

    The symposium will consistent of invited talks, contributed talks, and a poster session.
    This will be followed by a reception, dinner, and an after dinner speaker.
    The vendors exhibit will be run concurrently and will be co-located with the poster session and reception.

  • Thursday, September 20, 2012 | 9AM-5PM

    Event: AVS Rocky Mountain Chapter Symposium

    The Rocky Mountain Chapter of AVS is holding its annual symposium and equipment exhibit September 20, 2012. The talks will be of interest to the general public as well as scientists, engineers, technicians and managers.

    The symposium includes a selection of AVS Short Courses, a student poster session, and a vacuum-vendor exhibit. The symposium and vendor exhibit are free of charge to anyone enrolled in the short courses or pre-registered for the Symposium

  • Wednesday, October 03, 2012 | 9AM-5PM

    Event: SCCAVS Exhibit & Short Course Program
    Location UCLA-Covel Commons, Los Angeles, CA

    The Equipment Exhibition will be given by the Southern California Chapter of AVS (SCCAVS) and the UCLA AVS Student Chapter on Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at the UCLA-Covel Commons. In conjunction with the Exhibit is a Student Symposium, a half-day technical session on Helium Leak Detection, and an AVS Chapter Short Course program. The Exhibit will be open from 12:00 noon to 6:00pm. For Exhibitor info and registration please visit https://www2.avs.org/chapters/sccavs/exhibitform.htm

    Student Symposium: The Student Symposium will be held from 9:00 – 3:00pm, and will include both oral and poster presentations by undergraduate and graduate students from Southern California colleges and universities, showcasing their recent research results.  Registration for the Student Symposium is $50 per person.  Registration and details are coming soon to www.sccavs.org.

    Technical Sessions: The technical session on Helium Leak Detection will be from 1:00 – 5:00pm. Registration for the technical session is $50 per person.  Registration and details are coming soon to www.sccavs.org.

    Short Courses: The SCCAVS will be offering a Short Course program with course topics varying from technology, thin film deposition, and surface analysis.  Courses are to be determined and details available soon at http://www.avs.org/education-short-courses-schedule.aspx.

  • Sunday, October 14, 2012 - Wednesday, October 17, 2012

    Event: North American Molecular Beam Epitaxy Conference
    Location Stone Mountain Park, Georgia
    Contact: W. Alan Doolittle- email: alan.doolittle@ece.gatech.edu; phone: 404-894-9884
    Web: http://www.nambe2012.com/

    The conference covers the science, technology, materials and devices facilitated by the use of Molecular Beam Epitaxy. Abstract Deadline: June 13, 2012 Contact: W. Alan Doolittle- email: alan.doolittle@ece.gatech.edu; phone: 404-894-9884 Location: Stone Mountain Park, Georgia

  • Sunday, October 28, 2012 | 9AM-5PM

    Event: AVS Board of Directors' Meeting
    Location Tampa, FL

    In conjunction with the AVS 59th International Symposium and Exhibition

  • Sunday, October 28, 2012 - Friday, November 02, 2012

    Event: AVS 59th International Symposium and Exhibition, Tampa, Florida
    Location Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Florida
    Contact: Yvonne Towse, e-mail: yvonne@avs.org
    Web: http://www2.avs.org/symposium

    The AVS International Symposium and Exhibition has been developed to address cutting-edge issues associated with vacuum science and technology in both the research and manufacturing communities. The Symposium is a week long forum for science and technology exchange featuring papers from technical divisions and technology groups, and topical conferences on emerging technologies. The equipment exhibition is one of the largest in the world and provides an excellent opportunity to view the latest products and services offered by over 200 participating companies. More than 3,000 scientists and engineers gather from around the world to attend.

    Short courses are offered in conjunction with the International Symposium providing specialized training in specific areas of vacuum science and related technologies. A Career Workshop and Job Center are also offered to all attendees. The Workshop covers such topics as résumé preparation, job search skills, networking, interviewing skills, and more. The Job Center provides the opportunity for job seekers to submit their résumés and meet with potential employers.

  • Sunday, January 27, 2013 | 8AM-5PM

    Event: AVS Board of Directors' Meeting
    Location Research Triangle Park, NC

    In conjunction with a visit to the AVS Publications Office

  • Sunday, April 28, 2013 | 8AM-5PM

    Event: AVS Board of Directors' Meeting
    Location San Diego, California

    In conjunction with the International Conference on  Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films (ICMCTF)

  • Monday, April 29, 2013 - Friday, May 03, 2013

    Event: ICMCTF'13 - International Conference On Metallurgical Coatings & Thin Films
    Location Town and Country Hotel, San Diego, CA
    Contact: Phyllis Greene, Conference Manager; pgreene@mrl.uiuc.edu

    The ICMCTF is internationally recognized as a vibrant technical conference that integrates fundamental and applied research focused on thin film deposition, characterization, and advanced surface modification techniques.  ICMCTF is the premier international meeting in the field promoting global exchange of information among scientists, technologists, and manufacturers.  The conference draws more than 800 attendees each year with multiple oral technical sessions and a well attended poster session which is a major component of the technical program.

  • Monday, July 22, 2013 | 8AM-5PM

    Event: AVS Board of Directors' Meeting
    Location New York, NY

    In conjunction with a visit to AVS Headquarters

  • Sunday, July 28, 2013 - Wednesday, July 31, 2013

    Event: Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD'13)
    Location San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina, San Diego, CA
    Web: http://www.ald-avs.org

    The AVS Topical Conference on Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD 2013) will be a three-day meeting dedicated to the science and technology of atomic layer controlled deposition of thin films. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is used to fabricate ultrathin and conformal thin film structures for many semiconductor and thin film device applications.

  • Thursday, October 03, 2013 | 9AM-5PM

    Event: SCCAVS Equipment Exhibit
    Location UCLA-Ackerman Student Center, Los Angeles, CA

  • Saturday, October 05, 2013 - Wednesday, October 09, 2013

    Event: TACT 2013 International Thin Films Conference
    Location The Grand Hotel Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
    Contact: Jinn P. Chu, e-mail: jpchu@mail.ntust.edu.tw
    Web: www.tact.org.tw

    TACT 2013, with six symposia covering various coating and thin film subjects, is the third one in the row as the important biennial events for knowledge exchange and interactive platform for researchers and engineers from academia, industry, and research laboratories. Special issues are planned in journals of “Thin Solid Films” and “Surface Coating & Technology”. Similar to those before, more than 800 oral/poster presentations are expected, with increasing participations (over one quarter) from abroad, particularly because of the enhanced visibility by the AVS endorsement, not to mention the conference venue at the Grand Hotel Taipei, a landmark in Taiwan.

     

    Abstract Deadline: April 12, 2013

  • Sunday, October 27, 2013 | 8AM-5PM

    Event: AVS Board of Directors' Meeting
    Location Long Beach, CA

    In conjunction with the AVS 60th International Symposium & Exhibition

  • Sunday, October 27, 2013 - Friday, November 01, 2013

    Event: AVS 60th International Symposium and Exhibition, Long Beach, California
    Location Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California
    Contact: Yvonne Towse, e-mail: yvonne@avs.org

    The AVS International Symposium and Exhibition has been developed to address cutting-edge issues associated with vacuum science and technology in both the research and manufacturing communities. The Symposium is a week long forum for science and technology exchange featuring papers from technical divisions and technology groups, and topical conferences on emerging technologies. The equipment exhibition is one of the largest in the world and provides an excellent opportunity to view the latest products and services offered by over 200 participating companies. More than 3,000 scientists and engineers gather from around the world to attend.

    Short courses are offered in conjunction with the International Symposium providing specialized training in specific areas of vacuum science and related technologies. A Career Workshop and Job Center are also offered to all attendees. The Workshop covers such topics as résumé preparation, job search skills, networking, interviewing skills, and more. The Job Center provides the opportunity for job seekers to submit their résumés and meet with potential employers.

  • Monday, April 28, 2014 - Friday, May 02, 2014

    Event: ICMCTF'14 - International Conference On Metallurgical Coatings & Thin Films
    Location Town and Country Hotel, San Diego, CA
    Contact: Phyllis Greene, Conference Manager; pgreene@mrl.uiuc.edu

    The ICMCTF is internationally recognized as a vibrant technical conference that integrates fundamental and applied research focused on thin film deposition, characterization, and advanced surface modification techniques.  ICMCTF is the premier international meeting in the field promoting global exchange of information among scientists, technologists, and manufacturers.  The conference draws more than 800 attendees each year with multiple oral technical sessions and a well attended poster session which is a major component of the technical program.

  • Sunday, July 20, 2014 - Friday, July 25, 2014

    Event: International Conference on Nanoscience + Technology 2014
    Location Utah
    Contact: Eli Sutter, e-mail: esutter@bnl.gov

    Following the successful 2008 ICN+T conference in Keystone (USA), sponsored by AVS, and the 2010 (Beijing, China) and 2012 (Paris, France) meetings, the ICN+T 2014 in the U.S. will provide an international forum for discussion of the latest developments in nanoscale science and technology and recent advances in scanning probe microscopy and related techniques. The conference will cover a range of topics in nanoscale science and technology, including recent trends in materials, systems, devices, as well as methods and instrumentation, addressing the interdisciplinary and international nature of this exciting and rapidly growing field.

    ABSTRACT DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 14, 2014

  • Sunday, November 09, 2014 - Friday, November 14, 2014

    Event: AVS 61st International Symposium and Exhibition, Baltimore, Maryland
    Location Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland
    Contact: Yvonne Towse, e-mail: yvonne@avs.org

    The AVS International Symposium and Exhibition has been developed to address cutting-edge issues associated with vacuum science and technology in both the research and manufacturing communities. The Symposium is a week long forum for science and technology exchange featuring papers from technical divisions and technology groups, and topical conferences on emerging technologies. The equipment exhibition is one of the largest in the world and provides an excellent opportunity to view the latest products and services offered by over 200 participating companies. More than 3,000 scientists and engineers gather from around the world to attend.

    Short courses are offered in conjunction with the International Symposium providing specialized training in specific areas of vacuum science and related technologies. A Career Workshop and Job Center are also offered to all attendees. The Workshop covers such topics as résumé preparation, job search skills, networking, interviewing skills, and more. The Job Center provides the opportunity for job seekers to submit their résumés and meet with potential employers.

  • Monday, April 20, 2015 - Friday, April 24, 2015

    Event: ICMCTF'15 - International Conference On Metallurgical Coatings & Thin Films
    Location Town and Country Hotel, San Diego, CA
    Contact: Phyllis Greene, Conference Manager; pgreene@mrl.uiuc.edu

    The ICMCTF is internationally recognized as a vibrant technical conference that integrates fundamental and applied research focused on thin film deposition, characterization, and advanced surface modification techniques.  ICMCTF is the premier international meeting in the field promoting global exchange of information among scientists, technologists, and manufacturers.  The conference draws more than 800 attendees each year with multiple oral technical sessions and a well attended poster session which is a major component of the technical program.

  • Monday, April 25, 2016 - Friday, April 29, 2016

    Event: ICMCTF'16 - International Conference On Metallurgical Coatings & Thin Films
    Location Town and Country Hotel, San Diego, CA
    Contact: Phyllis Greene, Conference Manager; pgreene@mrl.uiuc.edu

    The ICMCTF is internationally recognized as a vibrant technical conference that integrates fundamental and applied research focused on thin film deposition, characterization, and advanced surface modification techniques.  ICMCTF is the premier international meeting in the field promoting global exchange of information among scientists, technologists, and manufacturers.  The conference draws more than 800 attendees each year with multiple oral technical sessions and a well attended poster session which is a major component of the technical program.

  • Monday, April 24, 2017 - Friday, April 28, 2017

    Event: ICMCTF'17 - International Conference On Metallurgical Coatings & Thin Films
    Location Town and Country Hotel, San Diego, CA
    Contact: Phyllis Greene, Conference Manager; pgreene@mrl.uiuc.edu

    The ICMCTF is internationally recognized as a vibrant technical conference that integrates fundamental and applied research focused on thin film deposition, characterization, and advanced surface modification techniques.  ICMCTF is the premier international meeting in the field promoting global exchange of information among scientists, technologists, and manufacturers.  The conference draws more than 800 attendees each year with multiple oral technical sessions and a well attended poster session which is a major component of the technical program.