MDI Summer Institute.

Keeping you informed and engaged in materials design.

The MDI Summer Institute is an extra-mural program that supports a broad range of outreach activities that promote research and educational platforms in materials design. The flagship event in the MDI Summer Institute is the annual Erich Bloch Symposium. Other activities and events include summer training workshops, industry seminars, and invited guest lecture series. 

Past Summer Institute Events

  • 2024 Erich Bloch Symposium
    8/23/24
    An annual symposium dedicated to the late Erich Bloch. The 2024 theme is: Materials Innovation: From Molecules to Neighborhoods.
  • 2023 Erich Bloch Symposium
    3/20/24
    An annual symposium dedicated to the late Erich Bloch. The 2023 theme is: Exploring and Harnessing Data with Confidence.
  • 2022 Erich Bloch Symposium
    3/20/24
    An annual symposium dedicated to the late Erich Bloch. The 2022 theme was: Connectomics – Seeking connections across diverse data and information.
  • 2021 Bloch Symposium
    6/7/21
    An annual symposium dedicated to the late Erich Bloch. The 2021 theme was: The World through the Lens of Data: Accelerating knowledge discovery in the service of science and society.
  • 2019 Bloch Symposium
    6/4/19
    An annual symposium dedicated to the late Erich Bloch. The 2019 theme is Discovering Pathways to Innovation.
  • 2018 Bloch Symposium
    6/4/18
    An annual symposium dedicated to the late Erich Bloch. The 2018 theme was Accelerating Innovation for a Regenerative Economy.
  • 2018 CoRE Summit
    8/23/24
    June 6, 2018 | 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM | Hayes Hall | UB South Campus | The Collaboratory for a Regenerative Economy (CoRE) is a partnership between the University at Buffalo, Clean Production Action and Niagara Share.
  • 2017 Bloch Symposium
    6/1/17
    The inaugural symposium dedicated to the late Erich Bloch, former director of the National Science Foundation who helped endow the Department of Materials Design and Innovation at UB.

We are approaching materials science in the broadest terms. We have a very ambitious agenda, as we are exploring how innovation in materials science can lead to major breakthroughs for the grand challenges facing society in areas such as health, environment, policy and energy.”

Krishna Rajan
Erich Bloch Chair
Empire Innovation Professor
Department of Materials Design and Innovation