Frequently Asked Questions

The Adhesion Science Short Course is a one-week lecture and laboratory course taught by Virginia Tech professors for anyone who produces or utilizes adhesives and sealants. This short course is run through Continuing and Professional Education, and it comes with 3.2 CEUs.

Topics presented in this course include:

• 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

Participants are often scientists or engineers working with adhesives or sealants in industry or government labs. Prior experience in adhesives or polymers is helpful but not required. If you are unsure if you would be a fit for this course, please contact us at mii@vt.edu.

There is a maximum of 35 participants for this short course.

This short course is taught by several of Virginia Tech’s top adhesion science professors, all affiliated with the Macromolecules Innovation Institute (MII), Virginia Tech’s polymer program.

• Dr. Michael Bartlett, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
• Dr. Scott Case, Reynolds Metals Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Richey Davis, Professor of Chemical Engineering
  
• Dr. David Dillard, Adhesive and Sealant Science Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics
• Dr. Alan Esker, Professor of Chemistry and Department Chair
• Dr. Michael Schulz, Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Please view the Adhesion Science Short Course home page for more details on our professors and their areas of expertise.

The next short course will be held May 15-19, 2023, in Blacksburg, Va., at the Inn at Virginia Tech. Attendees typically use Sunday as a travel day in order to arrive for the start of the program, which is 8:00 a.m. on Monday morning. 

Typical short course time commitment:

• Monday: 8:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday: 8:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
• Wednesday: 8:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
• Thursday: 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
• Friday: 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

The short course costs $1,950 per person. This registration fee covers instruction materials, lab materials and safety equipment, instructor fees, a continuous break snack bar during lectures, lunch Monday-Friday, and the dinner banquet on Thursday. For $50, you may bring a guest to Thursday’s dinner, bringing your entire cost to $2,000. Lodging and transportation are not included in your fee. 

After keeping our tuition the same price for more than a decade, we have had to increase the fee in order to keep up with the rising costs of the venue site and to improve our instructional materials based on participant feedback. 

A sample schedule (subject to change) is available for download on the course home page.

Yes! You will have an opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art labs at Virginia Tech, including the new Materials Characterization Laboratory in Kelly Hall. You will also have the opportunity to participate in hands-on demos in the labs. 

The classroom portion of the 2023 short course will be located at the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center (901 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA, 24061).

The laboratory portions will be on the Virginia Tech campus in Kelly Hall, Norris Hall, and ICTAS II. The short course will provide van transportation to and from the Inn and labs if you prefer.  

By car

Blacksburg is located off I-81 in Southwest Virginia, roughly three hours from Richmond, Va., Charlotte, N.C., and the Research Triangle in North Carolina. Blacksburg is also roughly four hours away from Washington, D.C. 

By plane

The Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport in Roanoke, Va., is served by several major domestic airlines and is about 45 minutes from Blacksburg. The Smart Way Bus, Uber/Lyft, or car rentals at the airport are options to get to and from Blacksburg. 

MII reserves a block of rooms at the Inn at Virginia Tech during the short course. Guests can call 540-231-8000 and mention the "Adhesion Science Short Course" to receive the group rate. 

Registration for the 2023 Short Course is now open: register using this link. The registration is also available on the main Short Course webpage. If you are registering a group, please email us at mii@vt.edu.

Requests for refund will be honored when received 14 calendar days prior to the program. A $100 administrative fee will be deducted for cancellations. However, another person may be substituted at any time for this program. In the unlikely event that this program is cancelled or postponed due to insufficient enrollments or unforeseen circumstances, the university will fully refund registration fees but cannot be held responsible for any other expenses, including cancellation or change charges assessed by airlines, hotels, travel agencies, or other organizations.