The International Waterborne, High?Solids and Powder Coating Symposium is a multi?faceted conference benefiting industry, academia and the Polymer Science and Engineering Program at the University of Southern Mississippi.

How it benefits industry: Our goal is to train the finest polymer scientists and engineers and to be the elite resource for highly qualified employees in these fields.

How it benefits academia: The conference provides an outlet for academia representatives (both domestic and international) to showcase the research they are doing and offer insight into the future of the industry.

How it benefits USM: Proceeds from the Symposium are vital to USM and the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials. Funds received are used for academic program development, including graduate student stipends, junior faculty development, equipment acquisition and maintenance, and scholarships for undergraduate students majoring in Polymer Science, most of whom enter the coatings or related polymer industries upon graduation. These scholarships are critical to the university’s efforts to recruit the highest achieving students into our program.