BYU-Hawaii hosted a joint conference from July 27 to Aug. 1 of over 120 U.S. and international scientists and technicians interested in the latest developments in calorimetry.
Juliana Boerio-Goates, a chemistry professor at BYU in Provo, Utah, coordinated the 2003 Calorimetry Conference. "Calorimetry is the measurement of calories or the energy associated with different processes, including chemistry, physics, biology, engineering and human metabolism," she explained. The conference was held jointly with the Japan Society of Thermal Analysis and alorimetry.
She pointed out over half of the participants came from Japan, another 10 came from Europe, while she was one of five BYU professors at the Laie-based conference.
Boerio-Goates, whose husband, Steven Goates, is also a BYU chemistry professor, added that the field is "very broad. Measuring the food industry is just one of the things we do."
"We have people here from universities, Los Alamos and Oak Ridge National Laboratories, and industries—primarily ones concerned with legal designer drugs," she continued. "One of the sessions dealt with lipids, or the membranes that surround the cell, and how information gets transmitted from one part of the cell to another. In another session, we had people talking about superconductors."
"Hydrogen storage is another big issue," Boerio-Goates said. "One participant provided information that will help design a better, safer storage device."
She also explained that a lot of calorimetric research tends to be "more fundamental, and it's often used in quality control. We have received support from Dow Chemical, which uses it to insure that reactions don't generate so much heat that there's an explosion."
Boerio-Goates, who has taught at BYU for 21 years, said her own area of research focuses on "designing new materials that have technological importance, such as magnetic energy storage."
"I have five undergraduates working with me. They are looking at problems in cellular metabolism, and also in designing new inorganic materials. Cobalt oxide, for example, is a material used in the magnetic recording industry. We're studying some of its fundamental properties," said Boerio-Goates, who pointed out BYU supports such efforts through its Office of Creative and Research Activities.
In addition to sharing scientific content, Boerio-Goates felt the conference was also a way for "scientists to show the way for peaceful collaboration. There are Russians and French here. We've had discussions about our various countries' positions, and we've done it in a way that's not hostile. It's based on mutual respect."
"It's harder to talk about 'those people' when you've sat down and had lunch with them," she said.
Boerio-Goates added the participants have responded positively to their experience in Laie, which included an afternoon and evening at the Polynesian Cultural Center. "They especially respect the beauty of the campus and the wholesomeness of the students," she said.
"The BYU-Hawaii people have been very helpful and gracious, and they worked hard," Boerio-Goates said, noting she started planning the details of the conference with Dean of Continuing Education Theresa Bigbie over a year ago.
Paul Dulan, conference and events coordinator for BYU-Hawaii Division of Continuing Education, who has been working with the calorimetry scientists, said, "We're delighted to host this international conference, which ties into our goal of serving the Pacific Rim. It also gives our students the opportunity to meet scientists and business executives."