Volume 8 Issue 1

From the ICDD - You are receiving this newsletter because you are an ICDD Member or are affiliated with the ICDD.
See this newsletter on the ICDD web site.

During the week of 15 March 2010, members of the International Centre for Diffraction Data met for the Annual Spring Meetings. Members from 15 different countries, staff and guests gathered at ICDD headquarters in Newtown Square, PA, to discuss research, hear about educational and database developments within the ICDD, and reconnect with one another. Throughout the week of meetings, members and staff broke into committees, subcommittees, and task groups for smaller, special-interest discussions.

(Left to Right) Dr. Matteo Leoni, Dr. Vanessa Peterson, Dr. Graciela C. D. de Delgado, Dr. Jennifer Mass

On Tuesday, 16 March, all attended the plenary session, which featured three international speakers, Dr. Graciela C. D. de Delgado, University de Los Andes, Venezuela; Dr. Matteo Leoni, University di Trento, Italy; and Dr. Vanessa Peterson, The Bragg Institute, ANSTO, Australia. All three speakers are ICDD Regional Technical Co-chairs, and each region is hosting a major materials conference that will be supported by ICDD in the next 12 months: Latin American Seminar of Analysis by X-ray Techniques (SARX), European Powder Diffraction Conference (EPDIC-12), and Australian X-ray Analytical Association (AXAA), respectively.

We were also fortunate to have Dr. Jennifer Mass, of the Winterthur Museum and Country Estate, University of Delaware, speak during the plenary session. Her expertise is in the field of cultural heritage, and her talk was entitled, “When Masterpieces Meet X-rays.” The use of fluorescence, diffraction, and imaging for the examination of culturally important works of art has been a recent theme of sessions and workshops at the Denver X-ray Conference (DXC) and EPDIC.

Following the plenary session, members, staff and guests spent the afternoon immersed in early American history at Winterthur Museum and Country Estate in Delaware. Winterthur was designed in the early 20th century to replicate 18th and 19th century European homes, and served as home to Henry Francis du Pont and his family. In 1951, Henry Francis du Pont, a lover and connoisseur of antiques and history, turned Winterthur into a museum so the public could experience the rooms that he had artfully built and filled with Americana.

Finally, we concluded the day with a poster session, showcasing 27 posters, and reception at the Concordville Inn. There, members and staff of ICDD displayed their research and had the opportunity to speak with each other about their studies and findings. Overall, the March Meetings were a productive and pleasant experience for all in attendance.