Kerry Pianoforte, Editor
The American Coatings Show and Conference will be held April 11-14 at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Held in partnership with the American Coatings
Association (ACA) and Vincentz Network – the organizer of
the European Coatings Show and Conference – the American
Coatings Show and Conference (ACS/ACC) is an exhibition and
technical conference designed as a sister event to the European
event. The conference is a three-day event providing a forum for
the foremost scientific minds in the industry, featuring scientific
papers and speakers. The show is a marketplace for presentation
of products and services for the production of high-grade and
competitive paint and coatings.
American Coatings Conference
Held April 11-13, the American Coatings Conference (ACC)
will feature 96 presentations in 16 sessions as well as a poster
session and a plenary session, where the American Coatings
Award will be presented. The conference will also feature the
Mattiello Lecture, an interactive poster session, eleven focused
pre-conference tutorials, and the presentation of the American
Coatings Award and the Roon Award.
The American Coatings Award will be given to the most
outstanding technical presentation at the American Coatings
Conference. Selected and sponsored by ACA and Vincentz
Network, it is endowed with a $2,500 cash award along. The
winner of the American Coatings Award 2016 will be presented
at the conference Plenary Session on April 11.
The ACC will commence with a keynote presentation
given by Dr. Sharon Feng, Ph.D., senior associate dean of the
Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago
titled “Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: An Imperative for
Breakthrough Materials Discovery.”
According to Feng, there has been a large movement toward
cross-disciplinary collaboration in scientific research transcend-
ing the boundaries of organizations, institutions and even nations.
“There are also increasing funding sources that specifically
encourage interdisciplinary collaboration from both government
agencies and private philanthropies,” said Feng. “This ‘new’ re-
search model is not for the faint-hearted because it requires the
courage of researchers to step out of their comfort zones, but the
outcome can be incredibly rewarding and lead to the develop-
ment of game changers and/or disruptive technologies.”
The University of Chicago’s Institute for Molecular
Engineering was established based on this research model. With
its unique organizational structure, it institutionalizes the con-
cept of cross-disciplinary collaboration by completely breaking
down traditional departmental structures based on disciplines,
organizing faculty, and aiming at some of the most ambitious
discoveries of the next generation of material science.
Feng will discuss her perspective on implications this mega
trend has on industrial R&D, and the impact on the future talent
This biennial exhibition and technical program provides a platform for industry
professionals to highlight cutting-edge research results and allows companies the
opportunity to showcase innovative new products.
American Coatings
Show and Conference
