Adhesion Science Short Course - 2024 Registration Open
Registration is now open for the 2024 Short Course
Thank you for your interest in the Adhesion Science Short Course! Registration is now open for the May 13-17, 2024 Short Course. We hope you will consider attending!
Short Course Information
Held annually in Blacksburg, Virginia
This engaging lecture-laboratory short course is designed for those who produce and/or utilize adhesives and sealants.
Instructors & Areas of Expertise
Michael Bartlett
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2013
Phone: 540-231-4886
Email: mbartlett@vt.edu
Expertise
Soft multifunctional materials & adhesives; Soft robotics & electronics; Adaptive materials
Scott Case
Reynolds Metals Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ph.D., Virginia Tech, 1996
Phone: 540-231-3140
Email: scase@vt.edu
Expertise
Experimental characterization and modeling of engineering materials and structures; response of lightweight structural materials to combined fire and mechanical loading as well as accelerated test method development to support long-term durability predictions for adhesives and fiber-reinforced composites.
Richey M. Davis
Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering
Ph.D., Princeton University, 1983
Phone: 540-231-4578
Email: rmdavis@vt.edu
Expertise
Physical chemistry and rheology of polymer solutions and colloidal suspensions with emphases on water-soluble polymers and suspensions in aqueous media; polymer adsorption at interfaces; waterborne adhesives; dispersion and processing of fine powders for coating, ceramic and composite applications.
David A. Dillard
Adhesive and Sealant Science Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics
Ph.D., Virginia Tech, 1981
Phone: 540-231-4714
Email: dillard@vt.edu
Expertise
Fracture and time dependent behavior of adhesives, elastomers and other polymeric materials; development of appropriate test methods for adhesive bonds; analytical and numerical (finite element) analysis of stresses in bonded joints; durability measurements and predictions for adhesive bonds.
Alan Esker
Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1996
Phone: 540-231-4601
Email: aesker@vt.edu
Expertise
Solution casting, spin-coating, self-assembly, and the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique for exploration of the physical chemical aspects of polymer dynamics in confined geometries and at surfaces and interfaces. Investigation of contemporary issues affecting nanotechnology like nanofiller reinforcement in polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)/polymer nanocomposites, magnetic nanoparticle-lipid interactions for drug delivery systems, and biomimetic engineering of cellulose/polymer interfaces in composites. Characterization techniques through neutron scattering and X-ray reflectivity at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and dynamic mechanical and thermal analysis (DMTA), rheology, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), surface light scattering (SLS), the fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) technique, ellipsometry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and optical (OM), fluorescence (FM), atomic force (AFM), scanning electron (SEM), transmission electron (TEM), and Brewster angle (BAM) microscopy.
Michael D. Schulz
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
Ph.D., University of Florida, 2014
Phone: 540-231-8244
Email: mdschulz@vt.edu
Expertise
Synthesis of polymers by methods including polycondensation, reversible activation-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization, ring-opening polymerization (ROP), and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP); polymer structure-property relationships; development of materials for biomedical applications; metal-chelating polymers.
Adrian Figg
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
Ph.D., University of Florida, 2018
Email: figg@vt.edu
Expertise
Synthetic polymer chemistry, precise polymer structures, protein-polymer interactions, polymer-polymer interfaces.
Josh Worch
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, 2016
Phone: 540-231-4552
Email: jworch@vt.edu
Expertise
Sustainable polymers - green chemistry, renewable feedstock, material end-of-life; Design and synthesis of soft materials; Structure-property relationships in polymeric materials; Intrinsically recyclable and/or degradable polymers; programmable or adaptive soft materials.
Michael Bartlett
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2013
Phone: 540-231-4886
Email: mbartlett@vt.edu
Expertise
Soft multifunctional materials & adhesives; Soft robotics & electronics; Adaptive materials
Scott Case
Reynolds Metals Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ph.D., Virginia Tech, 1996
Phone: 540-231-3140
Email: scase@vt.edu
Expertise
Experimental characterization and modeling of engineering materials and structures; response of lightweight structural materials to combined fire and mechanical loading as well as accelerated test method development to support long-term durability predictions for adhesives and fiber-reinforced composites.
Richey M. Davis
Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering
Ph.D., Princeton University, 1983
Phone: 540-231-4578
Email: rmdavis@vt.edu
Expertise
Physical chemistry and rheology of polymer solutions and colloidal suspensions with emphases on water-soluble polymers and suspensions in aqueous media; polymer adsorption at interfaces; waterborne adhesives; dispersion and processing of fine powders for coating, ceramic and composite applications.
David A. Dillard
Adhesive and Sealant Science Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics
Ph.D., Virginia Tech, 1981
Phone: 540-231-4714
Email: dillard@vt.edu
Expertise
Fracture and time dependent behavior of adhesives, elastomers and other polymeric materials; development of appropriate test methods for adhesive bonds; analytical and numerical (finite element) analysis of stresses in bonded joints; durability measurements and predictions for adhesive bonds.
Alan Esker
Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1996
Phone: 540-231-4601
Email: aesker@vt.edu
Expertise
Solution casting, spin-coating, self-assembly, and the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique for exploration of the physical chemical aspects of polymer dynamics in confined geometries and at surfaces and interfaces. Investigation of contemporary issues affecting nanotechnology like nanofiller reinforcement in polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)/polymer nanocomposites, magnetic nanoparticle-lipid interactions for drug delivery systems, and biomimetic engineering of cellulose/polymer interfaces in composites. Characterization techniques through neutron scattering and X-ray reflectivity at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and dynamic mechanical and thermal analysis (DMTA), rheology, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), surface light scattering (SLS), the fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) technique, ellipsometry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and optical (OM), fluorescence (FM), atomic force (AFM), scanning electron (SEM), transmission electron (TEM), and Brewster angle (BAM) microscopy.
Michael D. Schulz
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
Ph.D., University of Florida, 2014
Phone: 540-231-8244
Email: mdschulz@vt.edu
Expertise
Synthesis of polymers by methods including polycondensation, reversible activation-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization, ring-opening polymerization (ROP), and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP); polymer structure-property relationships; development of materials for biomedical applications; metal-chelating polymers.
Adrian Figg
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
Ph.D., University of Florida, 2018
Email: figg@vt.edu
Expertise
Synthetic polymer chemistry, precise polymer structures, protein-polymer interactions, polymer-polymer interfaces.
Josh Worch
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, 2016
Phone: 540-231-4552
Email: jworch@vt.edu
Expertise
Sustainable polymers - green chemistry, renewable feedstock, material end-of-life; Design and synthesis of soft materials; Structure-property relationships in polymeric materials; Intrinsically recyclable and/or degradable polymers; programmable or adaptive soft materials.
Short Course Topics
- Adhesives and Polymer Design Parameters
- Adhesives, Sealant, and Waterborne Rheology
- Adsorption on Surfaces/Surface Energy
- Classes of Adhesive Structure and Synthetic Methods
- Stresses in Bonded Joints
- Surfaces and Surface Preparation
- Fracture of Adhesive Bonds
- Viscoelasticity and Applications to Adhesives
- Adhesive Test Methods
- Analysis of Surfaces
- Free Volume and DSC
- Dynamic Mechanical Methodology
- PSA Performance and Testing
- Accelerated Characterization
- Frontiers in Adhesion Science
- Wood Adhesion
- Durability and Design
Course Site and Lodging
Location: Lecture sessions for the 2024 Adhesion Science Short Course will be held at the Inn at Virginia Tech, with lab sessions on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. MII will provide transportation to and from the labs.
Travel: The closest airport (Roanoke Blacksburg Regional Airport—ROA) is located in Roanoke, Virginia, about an hour’s ride from Blacksburg. Car rental agencies are available at the airport, as well as rideshare services.
Lodging: MII has a block of rooms available at the Inn at Virginia Tech for short course attendees to reserve at a special group rate. Course registrants can call 540-231-8000 and mention the "Adhesion Science Short Course" to receive the group rate. Alternatively, rooms in the block can also be reserved online via a special link - please contact mii@vt.edu after completing your course registration in order to receive this link. Please note that the room block is limited, and therefore the special group rate is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Cost
The cost of the Adhesion Science Short Course is $2,250 per person, with a special discounted rate for students and groups of 3 or more registrants from the same company/institution. If either of these apply to you, please email mii@vt.edu before registering.
This tuition covers:
- Printed course materials and interaction with Virginia Tech's top adhesion science professors
- 3.2 CEUs through Continuing and Professional Education
- Sessions in state-of-the-art labs at Virginia Tech
- Continuous break including coffee and snacks during class time
- Lunch from Monday-Thursday and Dinner Banquet on Thursday night
- Access to a room block at a discounted rate
Participants may bring a guest to Thursday's banquet for $50.
Questions?
Check out our FAQ page for questions.
Contact
For more information, please contact us at mii@vt.edu.
Comments from Past Attendees
"I found this course to be well-detailed and very informative. The course gave a very good overview of the topics related to adhesion. I gained a lot of knowledge this week, which will be beneficial to my career. The physical examples, labs, and demos were all very helpful. Overall, this was a really great course presented by passionate professors."
- Industry Chemist
"This is a great course: it’s well organized, the instructors are top-notch, and the course material is very informative."
- Research Specialist
"Very well presented, handouts contained a lot of information. The course gave a very good overview of materials and structure-properties relationship. It provided me with knowledge that would otherwise require years of studying to become familiar with. Good overall scope."
- Anonymous
"This has been an excellent course. The instructors demonstrated a keen interest in the topics they presented. I could tell that they were presenting the information to help our understanding rather than just to complete a task."
- Associate Chemist