ACC Keynote Speaker Encourages Scientists to Get Out of Their Comfort Zones
Dr. Sharon Feng, Senior Associate Dean of the Institute for Molecular Engineering at The University of Chicago, was the Keynote Speaker at the opening session of the American Coatings Conference on Monday. Dr. Feng’s presentation was titled Interdisciplinary Approach: An Imperative for New Material Discovery. Although an old topic, Dr. Feng noted that cross-disciplinary collaboration is still a very hot topic, and one that can be successful at impacting material discovery.
According to Dr. Feng, the large movement toward cross-disciplinary collaboration in scientific research transcends 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.