Texas Thermodynamics

Texas Area Workshop on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics (TAWTSM)

We would like to invite you to the inaugural Texas Area Workshop on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics. The motivation for this conference is to provide a forum for students and faculty in the Texas region to share research results in a casual and cost effective setting, with a special emphasis on student participation. Such a forum can benefit both students and faculty in several ways. For students, the prospect of a deadline is always a motivator. Combined with the prospect that they will be speaking themselves about their own efforts among cohorts from similar colleges, students are generally quite excited to present their work. For faculty, it is convenient to learn the latest results from neighboring researchers and prospective collaborators without having to plan a major excursion.

A similar conference has been held in the Midwest over the past 20 years with good success. Because the meetings are regional and other costs are kept to a minimum, faculty members are often able to travel with their entire group to the meeting. Students can participate in intense discussions of their research with immediate follow up and context provided by the advisor during the ride home. It also serves to strengthen research ties and collaborations among participants; there are many examples of joint research projects being established, in part because of relationships developed at these meetings. Finally, being able to travel to a meeting as an entire group helps establish an important camaraderie among senior and junior members of the different research groups, which is so important for the health of a research program.

What we have in mind is a one-day “workshop” from 8:30am – 3pm with 14 talks. The workshop will be held on Sunday, March 21, 2010 as a prelude to the AIChE meeting in San Antonio. AIChE has been supportive of our effort in providing a lecture room but we need to pay for the projector and coffee at the breaks. AIChE will not require us to pay the conference registration to attend the workshop. Furthermore, those who are interested would be welcome to attend AIChE’s welcoming reception Sunday at 6pm. The approximate budget is $1500. If we have 30 attendees (including faculty and student spectators), a registration fee of $60 should cover expenses. By keeping the workshop within driving distance, we would hope to promote carpooling.

2010 Texas Area Workshop on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics

The latest update of expected participants can be viewed in the Workshop Program.

The workshop is also linked to the AIChE Program.


Overview

The Texas Area Workshop on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics will be held on Sunday March 21st at Grand Hyatt, San Antonio.

Workshop Organizers

Richard Elliott, Dept of Chemical And Biomolecular Engineering, University of Akron

Walter G. Chapman , Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University

Ken R. Cox , Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University

Expected Participants

Walter G. Chapman , Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University

Ken R. Cox , Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University

Richard Elliott, Dept of Chemical And Biomolecular Engineering, University of Akron

Venkat Ganesan , Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

Ken Hall , Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University

Rajesh Khare , Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University

Isaac Sanchez , Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

Tom Truskett , Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

Top 10 Reasons to Participate

  • 10. Your statmech “low” light is flashing
  • 9. Thermo obsession trumps March Madness
  • 8. See/be tomorrow’s stars today
  • 7. It’s convenient and cost-effective
  • 6. San Antonio is the “Venice of Texas”
  • 5. Meet other thermo/statmech enthusiasts in your region
  • 4. There’s something about a deadline…
  • 3. Great group discussions driving to/from.
  • 2. Coach your students in a semi-casual setting
  • 1. Road Trip!

Important Dates

    • Jan 15, 2010: Tentative Abstract submission deadline.
    • Jan 4, 2010: Online registration opens.
    • Feb 28, 2010: Online registration closes.
      • Click here to download the registration form.
    • February 12, 2010: Meeting program finalized.

Registration

Please register for the conference by Feb 28, 2010 . Click here to register (the mailing address and fax number are included on the form). The registration fee is $60.00. This fee covers the room and projector and 2 coffee breaks. Follow the links for “online registration.” If your interest is focused on TAWTSM, the selection for “Short courses only” is at the bottom of the list. Then select S4 as the TAWTSM workshop. The remaining instructions are straightforward.

Abstract Submission

To be considered for a presentation at the workshop, please submit an abstract by Jan 15, 2010. Your abstract should include a title, author list, author affiliations, and an abstract configured to fit on a single page. Please email a MS Word document of your abstract to Richard Elliott ( elliot1@uakron.edu ). In your email, please be sure to include contact information for the corresponding author and indicate which of the authors will be the speaker.

Meeting Program and Information

Workshop Program

The conference will be held in the Grand Hyatt, San Antonio. We will all be on our own for meals. Click here for a map of local hotels.

Presenters can bring their personal laptops for presentations. Finally, a microphone and laser pointer will be provided.

AIChE Welcome Reception

The AIChE Welcome Reception will be held on the evening of March 21 (6-8pm) and all workshop attendees are welcome to attend.

Contact Information

For general questions, contact the workshop organizer:

Richard Elliott
Dept of Chemical And Biomolecular Engineering
University of Akron

Whitby Hall
Akron, OH 44325-3906
Email: elliot1@uakron.edu
Phone: (330) 972-7253
Fax: (330) 972-5856