National Transfer Student Week 2024
The UC San Diego Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) is excited to collaborate with the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, and the Department of Chemical & Nano Engineering for National Transfer Student Week this year to celebrate our transfer student community.
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to take a lab tour(s) of major research centers associated with the UCSD MRSEC, the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, and the Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering. Sign up for a behind-the-scenes look at the amazing work happening in the department and beyond!
Date: Wednesday, October 23
Time: 9-12pm & 1-4pm
Register HERE
Sign up for a time slot(s) via the RSVP link by Monday, Oct. 21 by noon so we can assign you to a lab tour(s)!
We strive to host an inclusive, accessible event that enables all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. Please let us know of any accommodation requests or questions about access. Contact: Janka Bond at j2bond@ucsd.edu.
If you have any questions please contact MRSEC at j2bond@ucsd.edu or Chemistry and Biochemistry Student Affairs at chemadvising@ucsd.edu.
UC San Diego MRSEC 2024 Annual Review Meeting
Thursday-Friday, September 19-20 | Structural & Material Engineering (SME) Building
Zoom: https://ucsd.zoom.us/j/92060917871?pwd=YnYrS2M1NXFYdFU4cS9XM1IrNU8xdz09 (Meeting ID: 920 6091 7871 / Password: 507098)
This will be an in-person meeting between the UC San Diego MRSEC Leadership and the Advisory Committees. The goal of the meeting will be to brief all MRSEC participants, affiliates, and advisory committee members on the Center's accomplishments in the last year and our plans for the coming year, and to solicit feedback from the Advisory Committees on the Center's plans and suggestions for improvements.
Day 1 Agenda: Thursday 9/19
Location: SME, Room 248
9:00 – 9:10 AM Welcome by UC San Diego
Day 2 Agenda: Friday 9/20
Location: SME Conference Rooms
8:30-9:00 AM Breakfast available
9:00 – 11:00 AM Scientific Advisory Committee Closed Session
11:00 – 1:00 PM Technology Advisory Committee Closed Session
1:00 – 3:00 PM Education Advisory Committee Closed Session
- You will need to download the PRONTO app in advance and load $5.00 (fare is $2.50 one-way). If not using the app, you can get a PRONTO card at ticket machines at Trolley Stations and Transit Center (more options listed on the here)
- You will need to take the trolley going North towards UTC Station, for two (2) stops and get off at the UCSD Central Campus Station, Stop ID 77782. On the way back, you’ll start the UCSD Central Campus Station heading south towards Santa Fe Depot and take the trolley two (2) stops to Nobel Drive Trolley Station.
- The UCSD Central Campus Station is located right across the street from the SME building, please walk towards Voigt Dr and turn left on Matthews Ln to access the front of the building. Other entrances such as the back and sides of the building are locked. Please see image for highlight of the path.
July 29 - August 2, 2024 | Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
The 8th International Soft matter Conference (ISMC2024 is part of the ISMC series held around the world and the first such event organized in the Americas. ISMC conference aims to bring together scientists across subfields of soft matter with diverse expertise with a goal to exchange ideas and techniques to accelerate progress.
This conference will explore the dynamic landscape of the future workforce. Learn how to adapt and thrive in uncertainty, where skills, agility, and collaboration are the keys to success. From embracing constant evolution to fostering innovation, this event provides a platform to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead — an intersection of foresight, perspective, and radical collaboration.
For more information, schedule of events, and registration please visit the website here: https://career.ucsd.edu/events/future-of-work-conference/index.html
Theme: “K-12, Community Colleges, and Universities: Building the Next Generation of US Nanotechnology Workforce”
Saturday, November 11th, 8:45am-1pm PST
This virtual event is free of charge to participate, but requires registration.
For presentation schedule and registration, please visit the EVENTBRITE PAGE.
"Nanotechnology Education: A Driver for Academic and Career Development"
Saturday, November 5th, 8:45am-12pm PDT & Sunday, November 6th, 9am-12pm PDT.
Click Here to register via Eventbrite
UC San Diego MRSEC in collaboration with UC San Diego Center Center for Aerosol Impacts on Chemistry of the Environment (CAICE), UC San Diego Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and American Chemical Society Student Affiliates, will be hosting the following activities as a part of 2022 National Transfer Student Week:
Tuesday, October 18, 2022: Lab Tours (10am-12pm, 1-3pm PDT) REGISTER TO ATTEND
Lab tours of major research center associated Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry - MRSEC & CAICE
Wednesday, October 19, 2022: Transfer Student Social (3-4:30 pm, Mayer Hall Green Space) REGISTER TO ATTEND
Ice cream social to meet other students, faculty and staff
Thursday, October 20, 2022: Transfer Student Panel (3:30-5pm PDT, Tata Hall 3301) REGISTER TO ATTEND
Hear from other transfer students about their experiences as you navigate your own path
Visit the National Transfer Student Week at UC San Diego website for more activities and information!
Bristol Myers Squibb pharmaceutical company is recruiting PhD, MS, and research active BS students with experience in process engineering and medicinal chemistry; therefore, students working on nanobio chemistry, self assembly chemistry, or any medicinal chemistry would be especially welcome to apply. Interested UCSD students and postdocs must submit their CV by 12:00 PM on October 7th in order to be considered for an interview. To register and submit your CV, click here.
When: Thursday, October 13, 2022 at 1:00 PM
Where: Dolores Huerta - Philip Vera Cruz Room
Located in the Old Student Center (in front of Art of Espresso and below the LGBTQ Center)
BMS Presentation: 1:00-1:30pm / Interviews: 1:30-3:00pm Open / Office Hours w/ Refreshments: 3:00-4:00pm
(Check-in begins at 12:30pm. View info flier here)
Title: How Batteries Are Changing the World!
Speaker: Professor Zheng Chen, Assistant Professor, Department of Nanoengineering, UC San Diego
Date/Time: Monday, August 1, 10:30am - 11:30am
Location: Heikoff Giant Dome Theatre at the Fleet Science Center, 1875 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101
The first true battery, made about 220 years ago, could not produce a voltage strong enough to produce sparks. Today, from cell phones to electric vehicles and renewable grids, advanced batteries are changing the way we are living. How are today's batteries different from the old generations? How can our new batteries store so much energy, allowing us to drive 300 miles on one single charge? Do these batteries hold the key to transitioning to a renewables-powered world? This lecture will talk about some of the basic principles of batteries as well as how to design and apply emerging battery technology to possibly enable a sustainable future world.
Dr. Zheng Chen is an Associate Professor in Department of NanoEngineering and Program of Chemical Engineering at UC San Diego. His research group has been focusing on energy storage and conversion materials as well as green processes He has published over 100 journal papers and holds 10 patents, with a total citation of 10000 times. Dr. Chen has received numerous awards by organizations such as NASA and has been named Emerging Investigator in Chemistry, Materials Chemistry and Nanoscale Engineering by peer-reviewed journals
Title: Diagnosing Disease with Light using Nanomaterials
Speaker: Professor Lisa Poulikakos, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, UC San Diego
Date/Time: Monday, June 6, 10:30am - 11:30am
Location: Heikoff Giant Dome Theatre at the Fleet Science Center, 1875 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101
Today, tests for serious disease can be slow, expensive or imprecise. In many ways, current medical diagnostic technologies lag behind what engineering can provide. Too often, imprecise or slow diagnostic tools mean that patients don’t always get the most targeted treatments. In this talk, Dr. Poulikakos shares her effort to develop new diagnostic tools that use nanostructured surfaces, allowing them produce results more quickly, more accurately and at lower cost.
Lisa Poulikakos is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC San Diego. She is affiliated with the UC San Diego Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) Seed grant program. Prof. Poulikakos' research studies how nanomaterials can interact with light to address societal challenges, including those in global health. She earned her PhD at ETH Zurich, Switzerland and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University, before joining the UC San Diego faculty in 2020.
Please see flyer here.
Title: Can we Give a Prosthetic Hand the Gift of Feeling?
Speaker: Professor Darren Lipomi, Nanoengineering, UC San Diego
Date/Time: Monday, May 2, 10:30am - 11:30am
Location: Heikoff Giant Dome Theatre at the Fleet Science Center, 1875 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101
Life is full of materials that trigger thoughts and emotions; think of the bubbles of champagne on your tongue, the sound of a violin in your ears, the soft feeling of your favorite blanket. We can feel, hear and see these materials because of dynamic processes happening on the nano scale and how our brain processes the sensations. In this talk Dr. Darren Lipomi will share his team’s work on the intersection between the science of soft materials and the science of touch. Through this work, scientists are beginning to understand how the sensations of touching a material manifests in our consciousness and how this could help develop realistic sensations in prostheses and virtual reality.
Darren Lipomi earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Boston University in 2005 and his Ph.D. from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University in June, 2010. At Harvard, he worked materials chemistry and nanofabrication, From 2010 to 2012, he was at Stanford University where his work focused on organic materials for mechanically compliant photovoltaic cells and electronic skin. He was appointed in 2012 as member of the faculty in the Department of NanoEngineering, at the University of California, San Diego, where he also serves as the departmental Diversity Officer. He is an author of over 100 publications and four licensed patents. His research has been covered by around one hundred news organizations and sci-tech websites, including CNN, Nature, Popular Science, Wired, Physics World, CNET, PCWorld, and Gizmodo.
Please see flyer here.
Internship/Career INFO SESSION - nanoComposix
Monday, April 4, 2 PM - 3 PM PST
nanoComposix is a world leading manufacturer of precisely engineered and highly characterized nanoparticles. The company's mission is to help customers bring nanotechnology-enabled products to market
- Dr. Jian Yang, Senior Scientist/UC San Diego MRSEC Industrial Affiliate
- Marissa Puppo, Scientific Recruiter
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://ucsd.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwqcumhpj8jH9FzACAFmiFnCCmZ9wV2Xgqk
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Title: How Nano Solar Cells Could Change our Global Energy Future
Speaker: Professor David Fenning, Nanoengineering, UC San Diego
Date/Time: Monday, April 4, 10:30am - 11:30am
Location: Heikoff Giant Dome Theatre at the Fleet Science Center, 1875 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101
The advancement of solar power to replace fossil fuel power has been slower than some have hoped. The main reasons for that are the development and installation costs for solar cells, as well as their dependance on silicon technology. But all that might change in the near future, thanks to a new nano-engineered material called perovskite. With this material, solar cells are easier and less cost-intensive to produce, while being nearly as efficient as commercial solar cells. In this talk Dr. David Fenning will share how solar cell technology has evolved and how nanoscale solar cells may enable solar to dominate our global energy future.
Dr. David P. Fenning is an Associate Professor of NanoEngineering at UC San Diego, where he directs the Solar Energy Innovation Laboratory. His research focuses on improving the performance and reliability of commercial silicon and pre-commercial perovskite solar cells and on CO2 recycling. He has authored over 70 publications in these areas. He completed his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford in 2008 and earned his Ph.D. from MIT in Mechanical Engineering in 2013.
Since 1967, the North American Silicon Symposium (originally the Organosilicon Symposium) has brought together individuals in from industry and academia to celebrate innovation in silicon chemistry and the recipient of the Frederic Stanley Kipping award. The 2020 awardee is Dr. Barry Arkles, founder, president, and chief technology officer of Gelest Corp. The 2022 awardee is Dr. Kim Baines, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Western Ontario. The Institute for Materials Discovery & Design at the University of California, San Diego is pleased to host the 51st Annual Silicon Symposium at the new venue, Park & Market in Downtown San Diego.
The registration deadline is Friday, February 18, 2022. Register by the end of Tuesday, January 18, 2022 to take advantage of Early Bird pricing! Register at https://sisymposium.com/registration.html
Title: The Year Nanotechnology Saved the World (From Covid19) or Hey who put their nano in my medicine?
Speaker: Distinguished Professor Michael Sailor, Chemistry & Biochemistry, UC San Diego
Date/Time: Monday, March 7, 10:30am - 11:30am
Location: Heikoff Giant Dome Theatre at the Fleet Science Center, 1875 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101
Join the UC San Diego MRSEC Director, Distinguished Professor Michael Sailor, as he shares facts about how nanoparticles are used in current medicines (like the Coronavirus vaccines), and why researchers are so excited about the future applications of nanotechnology in medicine.
Internship/Career INFO SESSION - DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory
Wednesday, February 23, 12:00 - 1:00pm PST
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory is the Army’s research laboratory strategically placed under the Army Futures Command. ARL is the Army’s sole fundamental research laboratory focused on cutting-edge scientific discovery, technological innovation, and transition of knowledge products that offer incredible potential to improve the Army’s chances of surviving and winning any future conflicts.
- Dr. Wayne Churaman, Team Lead - Protective Technologies, UC San Diego MRSEC Government Affiliate
- Joseph Gamson, Plans & Programs / Outreach Team
- Danell Diggs, Program Staff Advisor
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://ucsd.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwqcumhpj8jH9FzACAFmiFnCCmZ9wV2Xgqk
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
January 26, 2022 | 11:00 AM PT
Join the Director of Cell Engineering + MRSEC Advisory Committee Member, a Senior Cell Materials Engineer and recruiters from Tesla to learn about internship opportunities and "A Day in the Life" of a Cell Engineer at Tesla.
Register in advance on Handshake or https://forms.office.com/r/EZNpNpBwMX
"Self-Care is Not the Enemy of Performance"
UC San Diego MRSEC Changemaker Week 2022 will host Professor Jennifer Heemstra to give a virtual talk on the topic of self care and performance as a part of the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Climate Seminar Series. Please join us on Thursday, January 20th at 11 AM PT. Jennifer M. Heemstra (she/her/hers) is a Professor of Chemistry and Director of Faculty Recruiting and Development at Emory University.
Please see the event flyer for more information.
Zoom Registration: https://bit.ly/3F3i97I
Institute of Materials Discovery and Design (IMDD) Seminar December 13 | Two Takeaways from COP26: Decarbonization and Electrification of Mobility
Oct. 11, 2021 | Source: Fleet Science Center
October 11, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m
Topic: Nanotechnology in our World
What do the waterproof fabric Gore-tex and the latest coronavirus vaccines have in common? They are both made using nanotechnology. An increasing number of the products we encounter in our daily lives contain nanometer-scale objects that enable their function, and even many “conventional” products are now made using nanotechnology. What is it about a nanomaterial that makes it different? Providing examples from the fields of medicine, consumer products, and environmental safety, Prof. Sailor will discuss the promises, the challenges, and the dangers of the emerging field of nanotechnology.
Location: Thorn Street Brewery North Park, 3176 Thorn St, San Diego, CA 92104
We thank Thorn for opening their doors for us again! Thorn Beer will be available for purchase and food will be available from a local food truck!
September 25, 2021 (Saturday) 8:45 am - 11:50 am PDT
September 26, 2021 (Sunday) 9:00 am - 11 am PDT
"How to Optimize our Knowledge Management Strategies to Ensure Streamlining and Sustainability of K-12 Nanotechnology Education"
Location: Virtual Event via Zoom Meeting
Sept. 13, 2021 | Source: Fleet Science Center
September 13, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Please note different time!
Topic: Human and Machine Intelligence in Nanoengineering
Recent advances in computing power and computer vision have facilitated a new way of thinking about designing nanomaterials for energy, human health and climate resilience applications. What does the future hold? And, what are the prospects for these new approaches in addressing some of our biggest challenges? Tod Pascal will take us through a brief journey on using computer simulations to advance material science, highlighting successes, challenges and a lot of surprises at the UC San Diego Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, specifically in the Predictive assembly thrust.
Location: Waterfront Grill at Pier 32 Marina, 3201 Marina Way, National City, CA 91950
We thank the Waterfront Grill for welcoming us for the first time to National City! Waterfront Grill offers delicious food as well as full bar. We encourage you to come early to order food and drinks before the event starts. PLEASE NOTE: This is an outdoor venue. Please plan accordingly. Heaters will be available.
August 9, 2021 | Source: Fleet Science Center
August 9, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Topic: The Race for Better Batteries
Conversion of raw materials into usable energy and storage of the energy produced are common aspects of everyday life. The development of better batteries is a key technological challenge of the 21st century. Advances will allow smaller more powerful batteries and will provide a greater ability to harness more sustainable energy sources and improve our quality of life. Prof. Shirley Meng leads the Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversion (LESC), at the University of California San Diego to design and develop new functional nano-materials and nano-structures for energy storage and conversion. Learn more how her lab’s research has made batteries safer, more powerful and last longer.
Location: Wavelength Brewing, 236 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084
We thank Wavelength Brewing for welcoming us back into their space after a year of virtual Suds & Science events. Wavelength beers will be available for purchase and we encourage you to bring your own dinner!
July 12, 2021 | Source: Fleet Science Center
Monday, July 12, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Making Medicine More Equitable through Materials Science
The global pandemic has highlighted the vast disparities in access to life-saving drugs and vaccines between rich and poor communities and nations. Dr. Pokorski is trying to use lessons learned in the manufacturing of Legos to make access to medicine more equitable throughout the world. By using tools from plastics manufacturing, his research provides the opportunity to administer treatments at home that are painless, eliminate the need for multiple doses of a vaccine, and allows for pharmaceutical products to be shipped throughout the world without need for refrigeration. Learn more about how Dr. Pokorski is using common manufacturing tools to make new vaccines for HPV, cholesterol, and even COVID-19.
Presenter: Jonathan Pokorski, Associate Professor, Nanoengineering, UC San Diego
Location: We are back to in-person events! And we thank Thorn Brewing for hosting our first in-person event in over a year!
Thorn Brewing, 3176 Thorn Street, San Diego, CA 92104
Thorn Beers available for purchase. Bring your own dinner to enjoy!
May 17, 2021 | Source: Fleet Science Center
Monday, June 14, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Topic: What are Nano Materials and why Should we Care?
Presenter: Andrea Tao, Associate Professor, Nanoengineering, UC San Diego
Location: via Zoom
Additional information coming soon
March 4, 2021 | Source: Fleet Science Center
March 8, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Topic: From Black-Eyed Peas to Cancer Nanotechnology
We are living in a global pandemic and all of us are thinking about viruses. Pandemic or not, Dr. Steinmetz has viruses on her mind all the time… specifically plant viruses. To her, plant viruses are not pathogens or infectious agents – rather, Dr. Steinmetz sees plant viruses as ‘nanoscale’ tools that can be repurposed for applications targeting human health. While plant viruses can interact with cells in the human body, they cannot infect humans and the research in Dr. Steinmetz Lab sets out to engineer plant viruses to fight cancer, cardiovascular disease, and lately also COVID-19. Learn more about how her lab’s research has successfully treated cancer in dogs, and what that might mean for humans.
Location: Virtual through Zoom
To register, visit the Fleet Science Center website.