1. International Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter (ICAM-I2CAM) Daniel L. Cox, University of California-Davis, DMR 0844115 Switching of liquid crystals forms the basis for the modern display technologies and applications such as label-free biodetection and laser beam steering. ICAM-I2CAM researchers at CU-Boulder demonstrate that optical vortices are capable of local multi-stable switching of topological structures in liquid crystals. This research can lead to new ways of multistable structuring of complex photonic architectures in liquid crystals and applications ranging from all-optical consumer devices to novel information displays. Another emerging application of liquid crystals utilizes them as “smart” fluids that mediate inter-particle interactions assembling the nano- and micro-sized colloidal particles into superstructures according to the particles’ shape.

2. International Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter (ICAM-I2CAM) Daniel L. Cox, University of California-Davis, DMR 0844115 Inter-Continental Advanced Materials & Photonics Summer School (I-CAMP): “One world – one dream”: Advanced Education at the Interface of Photonics & and Materials Sciences ICAM organizes a series of international summer schools such as I-CAMP’09 held in Hangzhou-Shanghai-Qingdao-Beijing, China: http://icamconferences.org/i-camp/ and I-CAMP’10 planned to take place in Sydney-Brisbane, Australia. The major goal of these schools is tocombine advanced graduate-level education with learning about diverse cultures around the World. All lectures are webcast in real time (including those from China in 2009) and then video-archived on the school web pages. ICAM-I2CAM is organizing a new REU Program providing international research experience for undergraduates.