The University of Missouri-Rolla will host the 2006 National Science Foundation Design, Service, and Manufacturing Grantees and Research Conference July 24-27 at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in St. Louis. Approximately 500 individuals from academia, industry and government are expected to attend.

The conference, sponsored by the NSF Division of Design and Manufacturing Innovation, promises to cover a wide range of research trends and technology innovations, from building the hydrogen economy to developing sustainable manufacturing. Additional sponsors include the Intelligent Systems Center at UMR, the Research Alliance of Missouri, Boeing and Emerson.

Dr. Ming Leu, the Keith & Pat Bailey Missouri Professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UMR, is the conference chair, while Dr. Venkata Allada, associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering, is the conference co-chair. Sue Turner, manager of distance and continuing education, is the conference coordinator.

Highlights of the conference include:

• More than 300 poster presentations showcasing the research of DMI grantees.
• Plenary and parallel sessions providing information on research frontiers, technology trends, partnership developments, NSF funding opportunities, how to write winning proposals and more.
• “Integrating Breakthrough Technologies for the Aerospace Industry: Design, Service and Manufacturing R&D,” a keynote address by Julie-Ellen B. Acosta, vice president of AeroStructures Manufacturing and Support Technologies at Boeing Phantom Works.
• “The Nature of Lewis and Clark: American Scientific Exploration in the Age of Enlightenment,” a banquet talk by Dr. John L. Allen, professor and chair of geography at the University of Wyoming.
• One-on-one meetings with NSF program directors.
• Technical tours of Anheuser-Busch, Boeing, Emerson, MEMC, Monsanto, UMR, and Wal-Mart Distribution Center.

More information and registration can be accessed online at www.dmigranteeconference.org.