Current TMS News

Download New MGI Workforce Study

Creating the Next-Generation Materials Genome Initiative Workforce, a new study organized by TMS on behalf of the U.S. National Science Foundation (DMR #1840716), is now available for free download through the TMS website.

Building a world-class materials science and engineering workforce proficient in the tools and techniques necessary to accelerate the discovery, development, and deployment of advanced materials is one of four goals presented in the 2014 strategic plan of the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI). As we approach nearly a decade of progress since the initiative was first announced in 2011, this latest technical report from TMS builds on previous work and offers a series of action plans and recommendations that address the strategic plan’s goals for education and training initiatives, which are critical to achieving the MGI’s national objectives. The report also synthesizes the results of an in-depth examination of the required knowledge and skills for individuals entering or already in the workforce.

This study includes the following highlights:

• Reports on the current state of academic curriculum and training approaches of the U.S. workforce to accomplish the MGI goals of national security, human welfare, and clean energy.
• Defines 10 key competency areas along with core and advanced/specialty areas of knowledge and skills, organizing them according to the initiative’s foundational pillars of data, computation, and experiment.
• Captures and synthesizes recommendations of past MGI workshops, reports, and activities regarding education and workforce challenges and opportunities.
• Presents seven detailed action plans that describe how individuals, groups, and organizations can drive near-term actions that will have long-term impact in building the materials innovation ecosystem.

Led by a team of 16 internationally recognized experts, Creating the Next-Generation Materials Genome Initiative Workforce serves as the latest in an ongoing series of influential technical reports published by TMS that leverages its convening power, as well as the breadth, depth, and engagement of its membership. Learn more about TMS Studies.

TMS2020 Reaches 5,000 Abstract Submissions!

The TMS 2020 Annual Meeting & Exhibition (TMS2020) hit a new milestone, when the meeting’s 5,000th abstract was recently submitted. This is the largest number of abstracts ever submitted for a TMS Annual Meeting.

“Design of Halide Perovskites via Physics-Informed Machine-Learning” by Shijing Sun of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was the abstract that broke the 5,000 mark. This presentation will be delivered as part of the Frontiers of Materials Award Symposium: Machine Learning and Autonomous Researchers for Materials Discovery and Design. In total, more than 85 symposia are planned in 15 technical tracks at TMS2020. You can view the TMS2020 Technical Program page for more information on symposia offerings. For details on some of the keynote and special sessions planned at the conference, visit the Featured Sessions section of the TMS2020 website. Information on additional featured sessions will be added regularly in the coming months.

TMS2020 will be held February 23-27, 2020, in San Diego, California, a consistently popular location among TMS meeting attendees. You can begin to learn more about the conference’s host city at the TMS2020 Travel web page.

Discounted registration will be available to those who register by January 17, and rooms are still available at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, the TMS headquarters hotel. Please make your room reservations through the TMS2020 Housing website to receive the best rates on the most convenient hotels.

If you need to request funding from your employer to attend TMS2020, please visit the Justification Toolkit section of the TMS2020 website, where you’ll find a letter that you can download, customize, and submit to your employer to request funding.

Submit Nominees for 2021–2024 TMS Board of Directors

Nominations are now being accepted for two open positions on the TMS Board of Directors for the 2021–2024 term. All nominations are due January 15, 2020. The open positions are:

• Presidential Rotation. This encompasses three successive one-year positions: Vice President, President, and Past President. All three roles are officer positions within the Society and carry unique responsibilities. The role of President includes serving as chair of the Board of Directors.
• Programming Director. The Programming Director represents the entire membership in carrying out the professional activities of the Society concerned with programming.

Self nominations are acceptable. Nomination packages for applicants to these positions will be considered by the Society’s Nominating Committee, which will then recommend a candidate for each position to the Board of Directors. If approved by the Board of Directors, these endorsed candidates will be presented to the general membership for approval during July 2020.

To access complete job descriptions and qualifications for each office, as well as the Nominee Statement Form and nomination instructions, visit the TMS Board Nominations web page. For additional information, contact Deborah Hixon, TMS Awards Program Administrator.

To learn more about our newest board members, read “Giving Back Through Service: Incoming TMS Board Members Discuss Their New Roles” in the December issue of JOM.