Celebrating Tom McLeish

This workshop will celebrate the academic work, and legacy of Tom McLeish (1962-2023). Tom worked in many different fields, crossing disciplinary boundaries and encouraging us to engage with one another. This meeting held in his honour will cover several of his main fields of study:

• Polymer Physics and Rheology
• Physics of Life
• The Science-Humanities Interface

About the Meeting

The meeting will start mid-morning on Monday (2 September) and finish around lunchtime on Wednesday. There will be a dinner on the Tuesday evening, which we hope will lead many to random interdisciplinary encounters of just the kind that Tom loved.

Confirmed Speakers 

Polymer Physics and Rheology (Monday 2 September) 

• Jaap den Doelder, Eindhoven University of Technology
• Ron Larson, University of Michigan
• Denise Li, University of Edinburgh
• Tim Lodge, University of Minnesota
• Scott Milner, Penn State 
• Peter Olmsted, Georgetown University
• Charley Shaefer, University of York
• Lynn Walker, University of Minnesota 

Physics of Life

• Sarah Harris, University of Sheffield
• Rhoda Hawkins, University of Sheffield
• Rivka Isaacson, Kings College London 
• Bhavin Khatri, Imperial College London
• Tannie Liverpool, Bristol University 
• Philip Nelson, University of Pennsylvania
• Wilson Poon, University of Edinburgh 
• Sheena Radford, University of Leeds
• Hannah Smithson, University of Oxford 

Science-Humanities Interface

• Giles Gasper (Durham University)
• Alister McGrath (University of Oxford)
• Amanda Rees (University of York)
• Thoko Kamwendo (ECLAS, Durham University)

Organising Committee

• Colin Bain (Durham University)
• Mike Cates (University of Cambridge)
• Giles Gasper (Durham University)
• Mark Leake (University of York)
• Daniel Read (University of Leeds)
• David Wilkinson (Durham University)

Registration

Attending the meeting will cost £135 including the conference dinner, lunch and refreshments. The registration link is below and in the right hand side bar. When registering you will be asked to confirm which of the days you will attend the meeting to allow us to plan for catering.

For those wanting to attend talks only on Wednesday (i.e. not attending the other days or the conference dinner) the option is provided to register for free.

Registration link: Event Booking Details (durham.ac.uk)

Location 

The sessions will be held in the Calman Learning Centre, Rosemary Cramp lecture theatre (CLC202) with refreshments served in the adjacent Derman Christopherson room (CLC407). 

Accommodation

A limited amount of accommodation is available in Grey College at £52.50 pppn B&B and will be provided on a first come first served basis.  If you wish to take up this accommodation please indicate this during registration. 

We can also offer a conference rate at the Radisson Blu of £129 for single occupancy B&B per night or double/twin occupancy at a rate of £139 B&B, for the nights of the 1^st – 4^th September 2024. The cut-off date for this accommodation rate will be 21^st July 2024. To claim this special discount rate please enter the code: MEM0924 when booking. 

There are various other options close to the conference site (Premier Inn, Indigo, Marriott, Victoria Inn) that guests can book directly.

Monday 2^nd September 

09.45     Registration with refreshments

10.35     Welcome: Mike Cates (University of  Cambridge)

10.45     Peter Olmsted (Georgetown University)

11.25     Charley Schaefer (University of York)

12.05     Tim Lodge (University of Minnesota)

12.45     Lunch

13.45     Scott Milner (Penn State)

14.25     Lynn Walker (University of Minnesota)

15.05     Jaap den Doelder (University of Technology, Eindhoven)

15.45     Refreshments 

16.15     Denise Li (University of Edinburgh)

16.55     Ron Larson (University of Michigan)

17.35     Close

Tuesday 3^rd September 

9.00     Registration

Session 1

9.35     Welcome: Mark Leake (University of York)

9.40     Rhoda Hawkins (AIMS, Ghana)

10.20   Bhavin Khatri (Imperial College London)

11.00   Refreshments 

Session 2

11.30    Tanniemola Liverpool (University of Bristol)

12.10    Sheena Radford (University of Leeds)

12.50    Lunch

Session 3

13.50    Philip Nelson (Pennsylvania, USA)

14.30    Hannah Smithson (University of Oxford)

15.10    Refreshments

Session 4

15.40    Rivka Isaacson (KCL)

16.20    Sarah Harris (University of Sheffield)

17.00    Break

Session 5

17.45    Wilson Poon (University of Edinburgh)

18.45    Pre-Dinner Drinks

19.30    Symposium Dinner

Wednesday 4^th September 

The Science-Humanities Interface

Chair: David Wilkinson (ECLAS, Durham University)

 9.00     Keynote: Alister McGrath (University of Oxford)

10.00    Break 

10.15    Amanda Rees (University of York)

10.45    Giles Gasper (Durham University) 

11.15    Thoko Kamwendo (Durham University)

11.45    Break 

12.15    Panel discussion

13.00    Lunch

Downloadable version available at this link:

Programme McLeish Conference 2024