LocalOrganizingCommittee

2024 International Soft Matter Conference
Local Organization Committee

Chairs:

Michael Rubinstein (Duke), Chair
Ronit Freeman (UNC), Co-Chair
Jan Genzer (NCSU), Co-Chair

Members:

Patrick Charbonneau (Duke)
Christoph Schmidt (Duke)
Stefan Zauscher (Duke)
Karen Daniels (NCSU)
Lilian Hsiao (NCSU)
Daphne Klotsa (UNC)
Moumita Das (RIT)

Job description of the local organizing committee

  1. Reserving rooms for plenary & parallel sessions, posters, lunches, etc. as soon as the dates are fixed.
  2. Arranging for equipment for lectures and poster sessions
  3. Dorm room reservations – as many as possible at local universities.
  4. Negotiation of lower rates and reservation of hotel rooms after the dates of the conference are fixed.
  5. Industrial contacts – for conference support and participation in the conference (both equipment exhibits and posters; potential industrial speakers need to be coordinated with program committee).
  6. Proposals to NSF (there are several divisions related to soft matter), NIH, DOE, to partially support the conference.
  7. Contact different departments at university for partial support
  8. Fundraising at other local universities.
  9. Organizing banquet – preferentially at a nice location off campus arranging for transportation.
  10. Organizing a short course before the conference in consultation with the program committee.
  11. Potentially job/career fair for both academic and industrial track in soft matter, publication fair with editors.
  12. Organizing excursions, tours for accompanying people, childcare options…
  13. Designing and building a website for the meeting, designing a logo for the meeting (in consultation with the program committee)
  14. Advertising the meeting (who controls distribution lists)
  15. Running registration, budget accounting.
  16. Fun social/scientific events – design (soft robotics) competition, Soft Olympiad from regional teams, cooking, cosmetics, public events.