Special Panels

Primary Organizer: David Brown
Co-Organizer: Tengfei Luo

Fundamental studies of nanoscale heat transfer are critical to improve the thermal management and energy efficiency of various engineering systems and train the next generation of faculty and researchers. Advances in computational resources, experimental techniques, and, more recently, machine learning algorithms have improved our physical understanding, allowing us to design new technologies exploiting nanoscale phenomena. For example, studying interfacial thermal transport and energy conversion mechanisms leads to improved thermal interface materials or increased efficiency of thermophotovoltaics. This session highlights companies with origins in nanoscale heat transfer research. We will include brief presentations from the panel members about developing the technologies, from theory and experimental validation to patents, incorporation, and seed funding. The stories will motivate and instruct faculty, postdocs, and students pursuing fundamental research on identifying potential applications and industrial partnerships to transfer their skills and knowledge beyond the lab. We look forward to informative and inspirational stories from the panel to broaden the outlook of nanoscale thermal transport research.

Organizer: Roozbeh "Ross" Salary

Future manufacturing holds the promise of increased efficiency, flexibility, sustainability, and innovation, driving economic growth and competitiveness in the global marketplace. Future manufacturing is set to be transformed by a convergence of technologies and trends, shaping the way products are produced, distributed, and consumed. Future manufacturing is intrinsically multidisciplinary, spanning across various fields such as engineering, materials science, computer science, and social sciences. The aim of this panel is to provide a forum for exchange of fundamental research, education, workforce development activities in addition to a discussion of future trends in manufacturing with a focus on new manufacturing capabilities that do not exist today. The directors of the NSF's Future Manufacturing (FM) program along with awardees of the program are invited to clarify the requirements of future manufacturing and discuss potential transformative research and education activities that support the future of manufacturing.