UT ECE professor Seth Bank recently attended the 22nd Annual Kavli Frontiers of Science Symposium put on by the National Academy of Sciences and the Kavli Foundation. Since 1989, the Academy has organized annual symposia on Frontiers of Science. These symposia bring together some the very best young scientists to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in their fields in a format that encourages informal collective as well as one-on-one discussions among participants.

The Kavli Frontiers of Science symposia are attended by approximately 80 to 100 scholars under 45 years of age. Participants include leading researchers from academic, industrial, and federal laboratories in such disciplines as astronomy, astrophysics, atmospheric science, biology, biomedicine, chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, genetics, material sciences, mathematical sciences, neurosciences, pharmacology, and physics.

At each symposium, approximately 25 young scientists report on current research within their disciplines to an academically trained and scientifi cally diverse audience. They highlight major research challenges, methodologies, and limitations to progress at the frontiers of their respective fields. All attendees participate actively in a general discussion period, during which they learn from and form collaborative relationships with other young scientists in different fields.