Mark these dates in your calenders to be sure to not miss any deadlines!

What is the NGRPC? The National Graduate Research Polymer Conference administered by ACS POLY division and is one of the largest student-run polymer conferences in the country. Students can present their work, network and interact with polymer scientists in academia and industry.

ASU will host the 2025 NGRPC! Here are some facts about the University:

Website is live! Be sure to check for updates, announcements, and more! 2025ngrpc.asu.edu

Did you know? After being accidentally discovered in 1936, the mass production of polyethylene was largely pushed by the needs of the Allies in WWII, as it was used in communication cables, coatings and radar. Photo credits: atlantic-cable.com/Article/1944Ca… loc.gov/item/90709499/

Our registration is now open! Early bird ends January 1st, 2025 with as much as 25% off the standard rate! specialevents.asu.edu/sm3

June 12th is the anniversary of the opening of the baseball hall of fame in Coopertown, NY. A piece of cork wood is encased in rubber, which is then wrapped in hundreds of yards of polyester/cotton blend yarn. This is then wrapped in cowhide and hand stitched closed.

Today is the anniversary of the adoption of the U.S. flag in 1777. While the first flags were made of cotton, wool, silks or other materials, every flag that flies above government buildings today is made of a parachute grade nylon.

With growing issues related to plastic waste and recycling challenges, the 2025 NGRPC is centered around polymer sustainability. Read more about current approaches to tackle these problems in c&en! cen.acs.org/magazine/all-i…

Almost 70 years ago, Kurt Alder of the Diels-Alder reaction passed away. This reaction has proved to be incredibly important in the creation of pharmaceuticals and monomers. It has also gained attractiveness in creating sustainable polymers through reversible networks.

248 years ago, the Second Continental Congress unanimously ratified the Declaration of Independence which stated that the 13 original states were no longer under British rule.

Fun fact: Maiman's paper outlining his finding was initially rejected twice by Physical Review Letters. He then resubmitted his manuscript to Nature where is was officially published in August of 1960!

We are excited to host the 2025 NGRPC at ASU! We have been repeatedly ranked #1 in innovation, sustainability and global impact. In fact, almost all of the energy used by the university is generated by solar panels located on the top of most buildings and parking structures!