The 2009 North Dakota EPSCoR state conference is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 24, in the Memorial Union. “Research Groups in Focus – Displaying Dynamic Discoveries” is this year's theme.

The meeting will provide an opportunity for the research community to showcase their core areas of concentration and discuss potential collaborations. Researchers are invited to attend and exchange ideas and instruct their undergraduates, graduate students and post doctorates to participate in a poster session focusing on their research.

Alice Parker, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Southern California, will be the featured luncheon speaker. Parker is studying the feasibility of creating a synthetic brain using carbon nanotubes. Her topic is “Synthetic Brains: Technology in the 21st Century – Revenge of the Nerds."

Registration and the luncheon are free. The registration deadline is noon, Tuesday, Sept. 1. Poster abstract registration closes at noon, Thursday, Sept. 3. Details and registration are available at www.ndepscor.nodak.edu.