Boulder School 2026: Geometry and Topology in Soft Matter Physics

July 6-July 31, 2026

Scientific Coordinators

Xiaoming Mao (University of Michigan)
Ian Tobasco (University of Michigan)
Eleni Katifori (University of Pennsylvania and Flatiron Institute)
Leo Radzihovsky (University of Colorado, Boulder)

Director: Leo Radzihovsky (University of Colorado, Boulder)

Soft matter is a truly interdisciplinary field of study encompassing an ever broadening array of subjects, ranging from elasticity, complex fluids, and metamaterials, to physics of living matter and much more. Naturally, the study of soft matter brings together scientists from physics, biology, engineering, and mathematics. This summer school offers a unique opportunity for graduate students to be exposed to a more advanced formal training in the relevant mathematics for soft matter, helping them gain a language and expertise for formulating and attacking new research problems. The program will provide students with essential mathematical tools, including differential geometry, topology, and network science, and will discuss their application to elasticity, complex fluids, topological defects and more, all increasingly vital for understanding complex physical systems. Engaging lectures from mathematicians, engineers, and physicists will offer students a comprehensive understanding of how these tools are applied to real-world problems. This program is designed to provide a strong mathematical foundation that will empower the next generation of researchers to push the boundaries of soft matter physics.

Lecturers

Greg Grason (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
Richard James (University of Minnesota)
Randall Kamien (University of Pennsylvania)
Eleni Katifori (University of Pennsylvania and Flatiron Institute)
Cristina Marchetti (University of California Santa Barbara)
Xiaoming Mao (University of Michigan)
Carl Modes (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics)
Michael Moshe (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
Julian Panetta (University of California, Davis)
Chris Rycroft (University of Wisconsin, Madison)
Jennifer Schwarz (Syracuse University)
Michael Shelley (Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Flatiron Institute)
Saverio Spagnolie (University of Wisconsin, Madison)
Ileana Strienu (Smith College)
Ian Tobasco (University of Michigan)
Petia Vlahovska (Northwestern University)

The Boulder Summer School in Condensed Matter and Materials Physics has been established to provide education for advanced graduate students and postdocs working in frontiers of condensed matter physics, materials science and related fields. The goal is to enable students to work at the frontiers of science and technology by providing expert training not easily available within the traditional system of graduate education and postdoctoral apprenticeship. The School is supported by the National Science Foundation, with additional funding provided by the University of Colorado, and meets annually during July at CU Physics Department, Boulder, Colorado.