Achievement

In December 2012, three IGERT trainees, Aleksandra Biedron, Shoham Bhadra and Ryan Thorpe, traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to participate in the first Materials Research School sponsored by the NSF-funded Joint US-Africa Materials Initiative. Biedron (Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers), Bhadra Electrical Engineering, Princeton) and Thorpe (Physics, Rutgers), joined 50 PhD students and early career materials researchers from across the U.S. and Africa, as well as 15 internationally recognized instructors, for the school. Participants came together for two weeks of lectures, problem solving, and cultural exchange in December 2012. Topics included photocatalysis, photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, fuel cells, and batteries. The school offered the opportunity for them to learn more about critical topics in their field and also allowed them to engage with their peers in Africa. Participants from the workshop continue to interact, exchanging research ideas through blogs and social media.