Complex Systems of Small Geoparticles Workshop
Date and Location: December 13-15, 2024, Kigali, Rwanda.
Scope and Focus: As a climate change intensifies, there is a critical need to innovate sustainable solutions in coastal, mining, and agricultural environments. The workshop aims to address critical knowledge gaps related to complex behavior of soils and particle-based technologies necessary to mitigate related to soil erosion, moisture retention, and frequent landslides. Integration of the intellectual capital accumulated in nanoparticle technologies, self-assembly, complex fluids with geological, geotechnical, and agricultural disciplines is essential for finding innovation solutions for sustainability. The emerging theoretical and computational tools inclusive of Graph Theory, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence, will assist in tackling these global challenges, pushing the boundaries of our understanding in soil science, geochemistry, and geotechnologies.
Geoparticle systems, while macroscopic in scale, are influenced by forces operating at much smaller dimensions—ranging from millimeters to nanometers. Through thought-provoking discussions and exercises, this workshop seeks to unravel the complex relationships between structure and properties for materials like soil, mud, sand, and clay. It aims to bridge existing gaps in predicting mechanical properties, chemical transformations, and phase behavior within these diverse environmental components.
Event Details: Following the US-Africa Frontiers Symposium, the "Complex Systems of Small Geoparticles" workshop will gather leading experts in the US and in Africa. This two-day event will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and poster sessions. Each session will focus on different aspects of geoparticle systems, offering a comprehensive exploration of their micro and nano scale dynamics and their broader environmental implications. The goal of this invitation-only event is to prepare a perspective article outlining the pivotal opportunities in small geoparticle systems for the next 10 years. This article will integrate the knowledge from disparate disciplines and forge innovative pathways towards sustainable development and environmental resilience in diverse geological settings.
Key Organizers:
Nicholas Kotov, University of Michigan Clays, Nanoparticles, Microparticles, Graph Theory;
Martin Thuo, NC State University
Complex Particles, Granular Flows; Agriculture;
Conrad Tucker, CMU Africa
AI/ML; computational toolbox, climate change.
Event Highlights:
- Addressing complex systems of small geoparticles
- Keynotes, panels, workshops, and poster sessions
- Focus on sustainability, geotechnology, and terraforming
Program Administrators
- Dr. Jean-Luc Cambier, Director of Research Programs
- Joe Fortenbaugh, AAAS S&T Technology Policy Fellow
- Ololade Fatunmbi, Senior Program Scientist
Follow-up: Following the conference, an impact report and perspective article summarizing the outcomes, cross-cultural collaborations, and participant feedback will be compiled. For more information regarding this workshop, please visit the event please contact. Nicholas Kotov, kotov@umich.edu or Joe Fortenbaugh robert.j.fortenbaugh.ctr@mail.mil.
Sponsors and Co-sponsors: