Scientists, farmers, extension agents to gather for unique workshop 

Scientists, farmers, and county extension agents from across the region will gather in Southeast Kansas for three days in February to uncover the details of every challenge, large and small, that producers face from sunup to sundown. 

Their goal? 

“Through this kind of exchange, scientists will gain valuable insights into problems that we can address at the KPRC through advances in plastics and polymers,” said Tim Dawsey, executive director of the Kansas Polymer Research Center at Pittsburg State University, which is coordinating and helping to host the workshop. 

The workshop, planned for Feb. 23-25 in Pittsburg and nearby Parsons, Kansas, is called FARMS, or “Farmers Accelerating Research in Materials Science.”  

It will be led by K-State County Extension Service agents as well as representatives from the Macromolecules Innovation Institute at Virginia Tech and the Biodesign Center for Sustainable Macromolecular Materials and Manufacturing at Arizona State. 

The agenda will include: 

• Evening reception at the KPRC in Pittsburg 
• Full day workshop at the Southeast Research & Extension Center in Parsons 
• Half-day planning and proposal writing for scientists at the Foundry at Block22 in Pittsburg 

Registration: 

Register online at www.pittstate.edu/farms, or call Mary Lertiz at 620-235-4112. 

About the KPRC 

Located on the campus of Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, the KPRC is unique: It combines internationally recognized scientists from industry with academic laboratory resources and the processing expertise of PSU’s College of Technology in a state-of-the-art research facility. The focus: vegetable oil-based polymer research and development with a strong core competence in polyurethanes and electroactive materials. KPRC scientists work with industrial partners, state and federal agencies, and producer associations on developing and commercializing PSU’s intellectual property. Learn more: www.kansaspolymer.com