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4th Ed. Smart Materials and Surfaces - SMS Conference

Conference Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Prof. Orlando Auciello

University of Texas at Dallas, USA

Prof. Orlando Auciello was graduated with MS (1973) and PhD (1976) degrees in Physics from the Physics Institute “Dr. Balseiro” (Universidad Nacional de Cuyo-Argentina). He is an EE at the University of Córdoba, Argentina (1970), Researcher at the University of Toronto, Canada (1979-1984), Associate Professor at NCSU, USA (1985-1988), Distinguished Scientist at MCNC, USA (1988-1996), and Distinguished Argonne Fellow (1996-2012) at Argonne National Laboratory, USA. Currently, he is a Distinguished Chair at University of Texas at Dallas. He is directing basic and applied research programs on multifunctional oxide and novel Ultrananocrystalline Diamond (UNCD) thin films and their application in industrial, high-tech, and medical devices. The UNCD film technology is commercialized for industrial products by Advanced Diamond Technologies founded by him and his colleagues, (2003, profitable in 2014), and by Original Biomedical Implants (OBI-USA, 2013) and OBI-México (2016) for medical devices. He has edited 20 books and published about 500 articles in several fields, and holds 20 patents. He is an Associate Editor of APL and Integrated Ferroelectrics. He was the President of the Materials Research Society (2013) and a Fellow of AAAS and MRS.

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Dr. Anne Schwarz-Pfeiffer

University Hochschule Niederrhein, Germany

Anne Schwarz-Pfeiffer is a Professor of Clothing Technology and Smart Textiles at the University of Applied Sciences. Previously Anne was Head of Smart Textiles Group at Aachen University and Scientific Assistant at Ghent University, Faculty of Engineering. Anne studied at Ghent University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Textiles, Belgium.

Anne has carried out several Project Management roles, has been a reviewer for Scientific Journals and previously a tutor. Anne has received a poster award at the Aachen-Dresden International Textile Conference, Wilhelm-Lorch prize 2006 and VDMA Textile Machinery Fellowship. Anne is fluent in several languages and is listed in several publications, exhibitions and conferences.

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Prof. Kaspar Jansen

Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

Prof Kaspar Jansen received his MSc degree at Twente University. In January 1988 he started his PhD on injection molding at the Delft University of Technology. Part of his PhD research he performed at Philips Research Laboratories (1991). He received his PhD in March 1993 and worked for two years at the university of Salerno (Italy). After two more Postdocs he started working as an associate professor at the Delft University of Technology. First at the faculty of Mechanical Engineering and since April 2012 the IDE department. In October 2015 he started as the head of the new Emerging Materials research group. His research interests are: wearables, smart and interactive materials and their integration in design.

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Prof. Raafat El-Hacha

The University of Calgary, Canada

Raafat El-Hacha is then Professor of Structural Engineering at the University of Calgary in the Department of Civil Engineering. He is the member of the International Institute for FRP in Construction (IIFC), American Concrete Institute (ACI), Canadian Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE) and Pre-stressed Concrete Institute (PCI). He is a Fellow member of the IIFC and the CSCE. He is the co-chair of Sub-Committee ACI 440-I “FRP Prestressed Concrete”, and chair of the CSCE Committee on “Advanced Composite Materials for Bridges and Structures”.

Dr. El-Hacha research interest focuses on using high performance advanced materials, such as FRPs, Shape Memory Alloy, Ultra-High Performance Concrete, for hybrid structural systems in bridge applications and other structures. He published over 220 journal and conference papers, co-authored 3 refereed design guidelines. Supervised and graduated 41 students. Served as guest editor for 3 journals, and edited/co-edited 8 conference proceedings. He is the recipient of several distinguished awards and fellowships including the IIFC President’s Award–2016, the CSCE Casimir Gzowski Gold Medal-2014, the Erasmus Mundus International Fellowship–2014 and 2013, the CSCE Excellence in Innovation in Civil Engineering Award–2011, and many others for his outstanding academic and professional experiences and achievements.

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Dr. Cristina Cristalli

Loccioni, Italy

Cristina Cristalli is the Director of the Research for Innovation team in Loccioni, an industrial company active in the sector of measurements and systems for quality control and energy efficiency.  She coordinates the development of innovative projects with the aim to create new competences and business opportunities for the Group. Her main research topics are sensors and signal processing techniques as well as robotics for industrial applications. She has an extensive experience in European R&D projects and she is the Co-ordinator of two Horizon 2020 projects. She holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering and she was a researcher at the Electronics Design Center of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland (OH) and fellow at the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Emerging Cardiovascular Technology at Duke University.

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Dr. Ahmed Omran

Sherbrooke University, Canada

Dr. Omran is a senior researcher of Civil Eng. Dept at U of Sherbrooke & an assistant professor, U of Minoufiya-Egypt. He has a Ph.D. from Sherbrooke 2009, B.Sc. & M.Sc. in Civil Eng. from U of Minufiya in 1999 & 2003. His research focuses  on formwork pressure, rheology, concrete design & rehabilitation, NDT, ASCM, by-product & recycled materials.

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Prof. Kim Meow Liew

City University of Hong Kong, China

Professor Liew is currently a Chair Professor of Civil Engineering. He was the Head of Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering from 2011 to 2017 at City University of Hong Kong, a tenured Full Professor at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), and the Founding Director of Nanyang Center for Supercomputing and Visualization. Over his academic career, he has published over 750 SCI journal articles. Professor Liew is listed by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) as a Highly Cited Researcher in Engineering. His publications have been cited over thirty thousand times and his current h-index is 86. To date, Professor Liew has attracted over US$45 million research and development grants from government funding agencies, industries and higher institutions. He has graduated over 50 PhD students and supervised over 70 Post-doc fellows. His students are well received by industries and many of them have become faculty members of universities worldwide.

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Prof. Silvia Marchesan

University of Trieste, Italy

Silvia Marchesan had her PhD in Chemistry at The University of Edinburgh (UK), Pharmaceutical Chemist (UK) and Pharmacist (Italy) qualification, honorary researcher at UCL (London) and postdoc researcher at University of Helsinki (Finland), joint fellow at Monash University and Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization, CSIRO (Melbourne, Australia).

In 2013 she returned to the University of Trieste where her scientific adventure had started with the M.Sci. degree, (honours). In 2017, she joined the Dept. Head's Office as Research  Delegate. In 2018, she became Associate Professor. She received a JSP Fellowship at Buergenstock Stereochemistry Conference and the Vittorio Erspamer Medal (2017 Award) by the Italian Peptide Society.

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Prof. Xiao-Ming Tao

Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

Prof. Xiaoming Tao served as the World President of The Textile Institute since May 2007. From September 1987 to September 1988 and from October 1990 to September 1994, Prof. Tao served as Scientist of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation of Australia. From October 1988 to January 1990, she was lecturer of Donghua University. She has been an Independent Non-Executive Director of Texhong Textile Group Ltd. since March 3, 2014. She has been the Chair Professor in Textile Technology at the Institute of Textiles and Clothing of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University since April 2002. With five academic monographs, over 600 research papers published and over 20 patents granted, she is internationally recognised in particular for her pioneering work on smart textiles and clothing and textile engineering such as low-twist yarns, solospun yarns and fabric sensing technology which was widely applied in the textile industry. She is an elected fellow of The Textile Institute, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Academy of Arts and Design and Commerce of the United Kingdom. Prof. Tao was the recipient of two prestigious individual awards of the field: the honorary fellowship by The Textile Institute in November 2010 and the founder award of the Fiber Society of the United States in November 2013. Prof. Tao received a bachelor's degree in textile engineering from China Textile University (now Donghua University) of the PRC in January 1982 and a doctorate degree in textile physics from University of New South Wales in August 1987.

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Mr. António Braz Costa

CITEVE – Portuguese Technological Centre for Textile and Clothing Industries, Portugal

Born in Portugal, António Braz dos Santos Costa is graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minho in 1989 and in Advanced Public Management from the National Institute of Administration in 2008. Since January 2000, he works as General Manager at CITEVE – Portuguese Technological Centre for Textile and Clothing Industries, also as CEO at CeNTI – Centre of Nanotecnology and Smart Materials, since April 2012.

CITEVE is a European reference institute that provides technological support and services to companies acting in the textile and clothing business. Product design and development, prototyping, testing and applied R&D oriented to innovative applications are included in its service portfolio that also includes consultancy, training and fashion intelligence.

CeNTI – Centre for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials, is a research institute specialized in nanotechnology, functional materials, smart materials, printed electronics and additive technologies applied to textile sector, among others, mainly developing solutions for Automotive & Aeronautics, Architecture & Construction and Health, Security & wellbeing.

Braz Costa is member of the board of CEiiA, Centre for Excellence and Innovation in Mobility Industries (automotive and aeronautics) since 2007, as well as President of AFTEBI, a Technology School, specialized in technical post-secondary) level 5) training. At international level, he is President of Textranet, the European Network of Textile Research Organizations as well as Vice President of Textile ETP, European Technological Platform for the future of Textiles and Clothing.

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Prof. Georgios Priniotakis

Piraeus University of Applied Science, Greece

Degree in textile engineering (honorary), Tei of Piraeus, Greece, 1987. Master of Science (honorary), University Leeds, England, 1992. Doctor of Philosophy, University Gent, Belgium, 2005. From 1990 to 1991, he was a Quality inspector Hermes Export, S.A., Athens, then Researcher at the University Bradford (1992—1994) and Senior researcher University Gent from 1995 to 1997. Since 1998, he’s a Professor applied technical of Piraeus (Athens).

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Dr. Otakar Frank

Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic

Dr. Otakar Frank (1977) carried out his Master and Ph.D. degree at the Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague (in 2001, resp. 2005). During his postdoc period (2008-2010) he worked at the Institute of Chemical Engineering and High-Temperature Processes in Patras (Greece). He has experience from numerous research stays, e.g. at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago (both U.S.A.), Leibnitz Institute in Dresden (Germany) or Utrecht University (Netherlands). From the 2010 he is research scientist at the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, ASCR - Department of Electrochemical Materials. Dr. Frank was awarded the Neuron Impulse award (2016), the Czech Learned Society Award for Young Researchers (2012) and Otto Wichterle Award by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (2011).

The research activity of Otakar Frank is focused on Manipulation of the (opto)electronic structure of 2D materials by external perturbations (deformation, charge doping etc.) and Materials for energy storage and conversion. His expertise consists particularly in electrochemistry, Raman spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy. Currently he is involved in implementation of two main research projects:

  • 2017 - 2019 Heterostructures of 2D and 3D Materials for Solar Energy Conversion (HERMES); Donor provider: Czech Science Foundation
  • 2017 – 2018   Energy Funneling in 2D Semiconductors; Donor provider: Neuron Fund for Support of Science

His publications have been cited over than 1450 times (without-self-citations) and his current h-index is 22

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Prof. Peilin Chen

Academia Sinica, Taiwan

Prof. Peilin Chen received his Bachelor degree in Chemistry from National Taiwan University in 1990 and obtained his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from University of California, Irvine in 1998 under the supervision  of Prof. Peter Rentzepis. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Somorjai’s group in the Chemistry department  of  University  of  California,  Berkeley  between  1999  and  2001.  Prof.  Chen  joined  Research Center  for  Applied  Sciences,  Academia  Sinica,  Taiwan  as  an  Assistant  Research  Fellow  in  2001.  He  was promoted to Associate Research Fellow and Research Fellow in 2005 and 2010, respectively. He served as the  deputy  director  of  the Research  Center  for  Applied  Sciences  between  2010  and  2012  and  the  Chief Executive Officer of the thematic center of Optoelectronic in 2012. Prof. Chen was an adjunct Professor in the Chemistry Department of the National Taiwan University between 2007 and 2011, and visiting Professor in  RIKEN  and  Kyoto  University.  Prof.  Chen  received  several  prestigious  awards  in  Taiwan  including Research  Award  for  Junior  Research  Investigators in  Academia  Sinica, Ta-You  Wu  Memorial  Award of National Research Council and Career Development Award in Academia Sinica. Prof. Chen has authored or co-authored  more  than  120  papers  in  refereed  journals  and  conference  proceedings,  he  has delivered more than 50  invited  talks  in  international  meetings  and  conferences.  He  organized  more  than  10  international symposia.Prof. Chen has initiated many national and international collaborative researcheson development and  applications  of nanomedicine. Prof.  Chen  has  been  awarded  several  major  funding  for  both  domestic and  international  projects.  He  was  sitting  on  several  domestic  review  panels  and  served  as  an  advisor  for several international programs. Prof. Chen’s research topics cover a broad spectrum of nanotechnology with a  focus  on  the  application  in  nanomedicine.  Currently,  he  is  working  on  the  synthesis  of  nanoparticles  for drug  delivery  and  bio-imaging,  the  development  of  novel  imaging  tools  including  intravital  and  super-resolution imaging, the fabrication of bioelectronics device for cell sensing and isolation.

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Dr. Vineta Srebrenkoska

11 Oktomvri-Eurokompozit company, Macedonia

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Dr. Blerina Kolgjini

Polytechnic University of Tiran, Albania

Dr. Blerina Kolgjini is an experienced Lecturer with a demonstrated history of working in the research industry. Skilled in Research and Development (R&D), Textile Industry, Materials Science, and Carpet. Strong research professional with a Doctor of Textiles focused in Polymeric Materials, Artificial turf from Ghent University.

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