Events Calendar

The University of Washington, with the support of the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund, hosted a Summer School on "The Chemistry of Information Technology" in association with the National Science Foundation STC in Materials and Devices for Information Technology Research (MDITR). The 7-day summer school took place during June 18-25, 2003. The program consisted of four days of workshop and laboratory experiences, followed by a three-day Symposium on the Optical, Electrical and Magnetic Properties of Organic and Hybrid Materials. The workshop was given by sixteen invited speakers presenting tutorials involving theory, synthesis, characterization, processing, devices and applications. Topics included nanophotonics, optoelectronics, spintronics, 3-D optical and electronic circuitry, and photonic bandgap devices. The Symposium featured 39 speakers giving technical presentations on their current research findings.

The objective of this Summer School was to provide an intensive educational experience in the area of the chemistry of materials and devices for photonics and information technology research. The workshop content was designed to bridge disciplinary gaps to closely allied fields such as materials science and engineering, physics and electrical engineering.

External evaluation of the workshop revealed that it was highly successful. The evaluation report indicates: “Many participants indicated that the workshop effectively broadened their knowledge of science and technology information that is essential to pursuing research in the field of the chemistry of information technology.” The most common criticism of the workshop was that participants wished there were more opportunities for hands-on activities. Overall, the Workshop was viewed as a positive educational experience by the majority of participants.

The workshop was attended by over 100 undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, teachers, and members of industry who desired to learn about how various materials and disciplines of chemistry contribute to the rational development of materials in the field of photonics and information technology. Fifty of these attendees were formal participants receiving lodging and travel subsidies to attend. Of these formal participants, 50% were women and 24% were from minority-serving institutions.

The Symposium on the Optical, Electrical and Magnetic Properties of Organic and Hybrid Materials was attended by over 150 undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty, and members of industry. The three-day symposium featured talks by leaders in the field, including a Nobel Prize winner and members of the National Academy of Sciences.

Presentations at the Workshop were videotaped and these videos, in conjunction with the PowerPoint slides presented, are linked to the speakers names in the Program on this website.