ACerS is gearing up for several important conferences early in 2014, and one event that pops up early on the calendar is Materials Challenges In Alternative & Renewable Energy (MCARE 2014).
Since its inception as a biennial event in 2008, MCARE has grown in size and importance, according to cofounder and ACerS past president George Wicks. “From 2008 to 2010, MCARE grew 20%, and from 2010 to 2012 it grew 25%,” Wicks said in a phone interview. The most recent edition was held for the first time outside the US, in Dunhang, China, this past summer.
Scheduled for Feb. 16–20 in beautiful Clearwater Beach, Fla., MCARE 2014 will facilitate interaction among attendees and presenters via plenary and invited talks, focused technical sessions, and poster presentations (shown in the photo above; credit: ACerS). According to Wicks, the event’s interdisciplinary nature is what makes it unique.
“MCARE is the only forum I know of that addresses a topic of such national and international importance—alternative and renewable energy—and covers all three disciplines of materials science,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if the material is ceramic, metal, or polymer. What matters is having the right materials and integrating them into effective systems.”
The event’s interdisciplinary nature is a result of its organization. MCARE is cosponsored by ACerS, ASM International, and SPE and endorsed by such groups as MRS—The Materials Research Society and SAMPE. It covers the full range of materials challenges in alternative and renewable energy technologies, including hydrogen, solar, batteries and energy storage, photovoltaic and photonic technologies, nuclear, biomass, wind, and natural gas. There’s also a special emphasis on Future Energy Leaders, which encourages participation of students and young professionals in all aspects of the meeting.
For possible presenters, there’s still time to participate in this important event. Abstracts can be submitted for consideration by Friday, Oct. 18th by clicking here on the ACerS MCARE website.