MASM Workshops

Visit the Mid-Atlantic Soft Matter Workshop website.

If you would like to become a member of the MASM mailing list, please follow the instructions.

FAQ

Q. What is the Point of this workshop?

A. To get people talking to each other. Many of us probably don’t realize that our fields overlap. This is a great way to spend the day informally chatting and introducing ourselves. It is also the perfect opportunity for students and post-docs to advertise their work and themselves.

Q. What is Soft Matter?

A. Soft Matter is a generic definition of materials that are squishy. We think that Soft Matter can also be a broad class of problems relating to the form and function of soft materials. Different fields approach these materials in different ways. Physicists and engineers like to create, manipulate and measure the softness of materials with a variety of methods. Biologists on the other hand use the tools of Soft Matter to understand the materials that they are given by plants and animals.

Q. What is a sound bite, and how should I prepare to give one?

A. A sound bite is a short and concise talk. You should prepare for a presentation of 3 minutes. A time limit will be strictly enforced to ensure that everyone gets an equal opportunity to talk. To prepare you should keep in mind that you have a very limited time to get a single idea across. You should make sure that everyone knows who you are, where you come from, and most importantly a single straightforward exposition of what you are working on.

The sound bite should contain enough information about your research so that people with similar problems and interests know to seek you out during coffee and lunch. You should also prominently display your email and website if you have one.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to create a highly interdisciplinary workshop that draws upon researchers from academic, industrial, and National Laboratories in the Mid-Atlantic region. The auspicious combination of density and quality of research groups provides a reservoir for ideas and an excellent opportunity for community-building and networking. A soft matter workshop provides an ideal forum for researchers with interests that reside at the interface of conventional disciplines. The workshop will also naturally assist in the career advancement of young scientists by acquainting them with the local academic and industrial research community.