This one-day event brings together faculty, students, startups, and industry leaders to explore advances in materials science across energy, biotechnology, aerospace, semiconductors, and AI/ML. The workshop will feature keynote talks and panel discussions as well as a Student Poster Session and a Student 3-Minute Talk session, with $3,000 in total awards. Refreshments will be provided at no cost to attendees.
When: November 19th, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (CST), including lunch
Where: Oklahoma Memorial Union, Molly Shi Boren Ballroom, 900 Asp Avenue, Norman, OK 73069
Cost: Registration is free. Registration closes on October 25th.
8:30–8:45 a.m. — Vision for Materials Science and Engineering at OU
John Klier
8:45–9:15 a.m. — The NRT Diana: A Progress Update
Alberto Striolo and Sarah Breen
9:15–10:00 a.m. — VPRP MSE Seed Funding Outcomes
Stefan Wilhelm — Investments in Microscopy
Yitong Dong — Exploration of Quadrupolar Fluorescent Dyes
Thirumalai Venkatesan — Materials and Processes for Silicon Microsystems
Binbin Weng — Meta-Surface Engineering towards High-Performance MWIR Detectors
Kasun Gunasooriya — Predictive and Sustainable Rare Earth Element Recovery through Foam Flotation
10:00–10:10 a.m. — Announcement of 2026–2027 Seed Funding Competition
10:10–11:00 a.m. — Coffee Break with Poster Viewing
11:00–11:30 a.m. — Presentation by Gerard Baillely, NAE, Former P&G R&D Senior Vice President
The Importance of Industry-Academia Collaborations
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — Testimonials from Industrial Guests and Panel Discussion
Austin Burrus — BlueWhale Materials
Kenneth Kroenlein — Citrine Informatics
Marybeth Radtke (TBC) — Tinker Air Force Base
Edmund Seebauer — The University Perspective
12:30–1:00 p.m. — 3-Minute Talk Presentations
1:00–2:30 p.m. — Lunch and Poster Viewing
(Advisory Board Members meet with Diana Students independently)
2:30–3:30 p.m. — Research Initiatives on Materials Across OU
Brian Grady — Institute of Applied Surfactant Research
Sarah Breen — IMPACT Scholar: Preparing Impactful Engineers in Oklahoma
Steven Crossley — Polymer Upcycling
Madalina Furis — Japan Collaboration
Royce Floyd — Southern Plains Transportation Center
3:30–3:45 p.m. — Concluding Remarks
Ann West
3:45–4:15 p.m. — Coffee Break
4:15–4:30 p.m. — Poster and 3-Minute Talk Awards
4:30 p.m. — Adjourn
Chair: Prof. Sarah Sharif
Session Time: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Poster Presentations & 3-Minute (3M) Talks
Poster Presentations: No limit on submissions
3M Talks: Limited to the first 10 submissions
Attire: Business casual recommended
Awards
Awards will be presented at 4:00 p.m.
Four Poster Presentation Awards: $500 each
Two 3M Talk Awards: $500 each
Poster Setup & Removal
Setup: Wednesday, November 18, from 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Mounting deadline: Thursday, November 19, by 8:00 a.m.
Removal: Thursday, November 19, at 4:30 p.m.
Poster Requirements
Easels, foam boards, and clips will be provided.
Recommended poster size: 36″ × 48″ (landscape) or 48″ × 36″ (portrait). These are recommendations, not strict requirements.
Posters will be numbered, and each presenter will receive an assigned number. Assignments will be sent during the week of the event.
Clearly identify the presenter’s name in the author line using bold, underlining, or an asterisk.
Competition posters must include the 200-word essay titled “Why It Matters” on the poster.
Slide Requirements
Prepare one slide only using the template below.
Top left: Materials Science logo.
Top section: Presentation title, author name(s), and presenter name.
Main content: Customize the layout with figures, images, diagrams, or key findings to communicate your research.
Slide Template: Download the 3-Minute Talk Slide Template
Presentation Guidelines
Keep content clear, engaging, and accessible to a broad audience.
Highlight the key message, significance, and potential impact of your research.
Slide Submission
Email your final slide in PowerPoint (.pptx) format to Sonya Norman at norman.sonya@ou.edu by Wednesday, November 11.
