Symposium Agenda

CU Boulder Innovation in Materials Science Symposium
Monday, August 17, 2026

  • 8:00 – 9:20 Plenary Session, JSCBB A115, Butcher Auditorium, Prof. Stephanie Bryant, Presider
  • 8:00 – 8:05 Introduction and Welcoming Remarks, Prof. Stephanie Bryant
    • 8:05 – 8:40  Towards a Net Zero World: Developing and applying new tools to understand how materials for Li and “beyond-Li” battery technologies function, Clare Grey, Cambridge University
    • 8:40 – 9:15  Recent efforts in polymer deconstruction and redesign, Gregg Beckham, National Laboratory of the Rockies
  • 9:15 – 9:25 Break and Transition
  • 9:25 - 10:45 Parallel Sessions, JSCBB A115 and JSCBB A108 
Parallel Sessions
  • Session #1 (JSCBB A115): Materials for power generation and energy storage, Prof. Ryan Hayward, Presider 
  • 9:25 – 9:45  Mana Battery: Commercializing Materials Science Innovations in Sodium Batteries, Peter Hosbein
    • 9:45 – 9:57  Broadband thermophotonic rectenna for power generation using moderate temperature heat sources, Dishan Chooi, University of Colorado
    • 9:57 – 10:17  Anion Redox for Next-Generation Battery Cathodes, Prof. Kim See, University of Colorado
  • Session #2 (JSCBB A108): Materials for Environment, Prof. Max Robb, Presider
  • 9:25 – 9:45  Prometheus Materials: From Concept to Commercialization, Wil Srubar, CU Professor and Prometheus
    • 9:45 – 9:57  Living-Light Materials: Sustaining Bioluminescence Through Chemical Stimulation. Dr. Giulia Brachi, University of Colorado
    • 9:57 – 10:17  Material innovations needed to achieve ultrahigh selectivity in practical nanoporous polymers, Prof. Cody Ritt, University of Colorado
  • 10:17 – 10:40 Break
  • 10:40 – 12:04  Parallel Sessions, JSCBB A115 and JSCBB A108 
Parallel Sessions
  • Session #3 (JSCBB A115): Advanced Polymer Manufacturing and Application, Prof. Kōnane Bay, Presider 
  • 10:40 – 11:00  Parallax Volumetric Additive Manufacturing, Johnny Hergert, Manifest
    • 11:00 – 11:12  Designing a Viscoelastic Biomimetic Hydrogel for Cartilage Regeneration, Elizabeth George, University of Colorado
    • 11:12 – 11:32  From foundational research to global standards: How NIST is enabling adoption of photopolymer additive manufacturing at scale, Callie Higgins, NIST
    • 11:32 – 11:44 Repeatable, reliable, verifiable: a framework for volume hologram characterization, Andrew Sias, University of Colorado
    • 11:44 – 12:04 Piezoelectric Biomaterials for Biomedical Devices: Design and Discovery through Unconventional 2D and 3D Printing, Prof. Jun Li, University of Colorado 
  • Session #4 (JSCBB A108): Polymeric and Active Materials, Prof. Tim White, Presider 
  • 10:40 – 11:00 Molecular Design Strategies for Mechanochemically Active Polymers, Prof. Max Robb, University of Colorado 
    • 11:00 – 11:12 Unlocking ally ether polymerizations with dithioanes, Emeline Lochmaier, University of Colorado
    • 11:12 – 11:32 Catalytic Chain Transfer Photopolymerization (CCTP^2): I gotta figure out how to make money on this thing. It’s simply too good, Prof. Brady Worrell, Denver University
    • 11:32 – 11:44 Leveraging the dynamic Retro-Michael Platform towards unlocking Latent Acrylate: From Protection Chemistry to Functional Materials, Dyuti Chakraborty, University of Colorado
    • 11:44 – 12:04 Leveraging Fundamental Chemical Insights for Chemical Probe Development, Prof. Dylan Domaille, Colorado School of Mines
  • 12:04 – 1:35  Lunch Break for All, Student Panel with the External Advisory Board 
  • 12:04 – 12:15 Pick up lunches
    • 12:15 – 1:15 Student Panel Discussion with external advisory board: Professional Development Help for PhD students and Postdocs (JSCBB A115)
  • 1:15 – 1:30   Break and Transition
  • 1:30 – 2:34   Parallel Sessions, JSCBB A115 and JSCBB A108 
Parallel Sessions
  • Session # 5 (JSCBB A115): Materials for Renewable Energy, Prof. Cody Ritt, Presider
  • 1:30 – 1:50  Tynt - Enabling the Intelligence for Glass, Tyler Hernandez, Tynt
    • 1:50 – 2:02  Electrochemical reactions under reverse bias create additional mobile ions that enable hole tunneling in metal halide perovskite diodes, Kell Fremouw, University of Colorado
    • 2:02– 2:22 Preparing selective catalysts for fine chemicals production using self-assembled monolayers, Prof. Will Medlin, University of Colorado
    • 2:22 – 2:34  Engineering catalyst surfaces for C-C coupling reactions, Dr. Brandon Oliphant, University of Colorado
  • Session # 6 (JSCBB A108): Biomaterials, Prof. Jun Li, Presider
    • 1:30 – 1:50  Micro-stereolithography fabrication of architected hydrogel composite scaffolds for osteochondral tissue regeneration Prof. Virginia Ferguson
    • 1:50 – 2:02  Piezoelectric particles for modulating macrophage function, Matthew Kwan, University of Colorado
    • 2:02 – 2:22  Biomaterials to probe cellular interactions with their environment, Prof. Nikki Farnsworth, Colorado School of Mines
    • 2:22 – 2:34 Microparticles with programmable magnetic orientation, Collin Kemper, University of Colorado
  • 2:34 – 2:45 Break and Transition
  • 2:45 - 4:15  Poster Session (Poster presenters with last names starting with A-M present from 2:45 – 3:30; Poster presenters with last names starting with N-Z present from 3:30 – 4:15)
  • 4:15 – 5:25   Plenary Session, JSCBB A115, Prof. Yifu Ding, Presiding
  • 4:15 – 4:50  Low-Dose Non-Destructive Soft X-ray Imaging of Polymers and Nanomaterials, Prof. Margaret Murnane, University of Colorado
    • 4:50 – 5:25 Chemically Recyclable Multiblock Polymers, Prof. Garret Miyake, Colorado State University
  • 5:25 – 5:40   Poster Award Announcement