Critical Materials Symposium Agenda
10:00 AM Session I: Research and Innovation in Critical Materials Supply Chain
2:00 PM Session II: Research and Innovation in Batteries and Microelectronics
3:30 PM Session III: Future Workforce Development Trends

Check-in & Continental Breakfast

Introductory REmarks
Sherine Obare | Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement
Hemali Rathnayke | Professor & Director of BRIGHT

Session I: Research and Innovation in Critical Materials Supply Chain
Moderated by Hemali Rathnayke | Professor & Director of BRIGHT

Keynote Address: The Right Time, The Right Place, The Right Approach: Toyota in the Battery Value Chain
Evan Leon | Senior Project Manager at Toyota Tsusho America, Inc

Unlocking Critical Mineral Resources from Unconventional
Feedstocks
Wencai Zhang | Associate Professor, Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering, Virginia Tech

Coffee & Networking Break

Critical Materials Recovery from Industrial Processes by Matthew Craps
Matthew Craps | Principal Scientist & Team Lead, Advanced Materials and Process Technology, Savannah River National Laboratory

Panel Discussion on Critical Materials Supply Chain Challenges
Evan Leon, Toyota Tsusho America
Wencai Zhang, Virginia Tech
Sheebha Dawood, Minerva Lithium
Matthew Craps, Savannah River National Lab
Alla Letfullina, Research Scientist at Reynolds American Inc.
Moderated by: Hemali Rathnayake, Director of BRIGHT

Networking Lunch

Transition to Nursing Instructional Building for Session II

Session II: Research and Innovation in Batteries and Microelectronics
Moderated by John Borchert | Lead, Social Innovation and Public Scholarship, Innovate UNCG

Keynote Address: Performance Improvement of Li Metal Batteries through Rational
Materials and Operation Design
Bin Li | Senior Scientist and Energy Storage R&D Lead for Transportation and Grid, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Bioinspired Approaches for Redox-Active Materials in Energy Storage
Shabnam Hematian | Associate Professor and Bernard Glickman Dean’s Professor in Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UNC Greensboro

Eco-Friendly Processing for Next-Generation Battery Materials
Lin Ma | Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science BATT CAVE at UNC Charlotte

Inside Battery Gigafactory Manufacturing: Process & Technology
Muthukumaran Sivaraman | Tata Battery Consultant at Battery Gigafactory Manufacturing

Session III: Future Workforce Development Trends
Moderated by Joe Rotondi | Business Development Officer, Minerva Lithium LLC

Panel Discussion on Workforce Development Needs
Jesse Jur | Deputy Director, Office of Science, Technology & Innovation, North Carolina Department of Commerce
Kate Bashford | Battery, Energy Storage and EV Project Manager, Appalachian Energy Center, Appalachian State University
Tiffany Jacobs | Executive Director, Forge Greensboro
Fred C. Henry Jr. | Deputy Director, GuilfordWorks

Reception/Networking Session/Poster Presentations

Adjourn
Thanks for attending!