Welcome to the webpage for Soft solids and Complex Fluids, an annual summer school for graduate students in soft matter and statistical physics hosted by the Physics Department at UMass Amherst. There is a growing level of activity in physics departments in fields whose concepts and practices are inspired by the ideas and methods of classical condensed matter and statistical physics. These include liquid crystals, granular matter, solid mechanics, polymeric and colloidal physics and micro-fluidics, as well as biophysics. However, courses in the basic techniques common to these areas do not find a standard place in graduate curricula of most physics departments. This school helps fill this need. Our target audience consists of graduate students who are early in their career in a research group. Our lecturers will anticipate that you have a standard background in graduate classical and quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, statistical mechanics and the associated mathematical methods.
For 2025, the Summer School will continue its customary fully in-person format. The school will be a 5-day residential program running from noon on Sunday, June 1 to Thursday Evening, June 5, 2025. Four lecturers will give mini-courses composed of four 90-min lectures. The lectures will be interspersed with student presentations, and some social activities. Typically, we will have four lectures a day, leaving time for discussions scientific and otherwise. The lecturers may set assignments. For details on the courses and logistics see the Program 2025 tab. To apply to attend the summer school, fill out the application at the Apply tab above. The priority application deadline is Friday, April 11 2025.
The 103rd New England Complex Fluids Workshop will be held the day after the Summer School, Friday, June 6, 2025 at UMass Amherst. This is separate event from the Summer School, but Summer School housing for off-campus participants can be extended an additional day to facilitate participation in the NECFW. For information and to register for the NECFW please go tohttps://www.complexfluids.org/necf/index.php
Summer School participants may also be interested in the The 21st Northeastern Granular Materials Workshop to be held the following week on Friday, June 13, 2025 at Yale University. This is also separate event from the Summer School. For information and to register for the NEGMW please go to https://gibbs.ccny.cuny.edu/NEGW.php
