ERC EARTH Spring Summit

2026 ERC EARTH Spring Summit

A working summit bringing together industry leaders, academic researchers, national laboratories, policy and standards leaders, and other key stakeholders to align priorities, advance research translation, and shape the future of energy-efficient HVACR systems.

Location

The 2026 ERC EARTH Spring Summit will take place the University of Norte Dame's McKenna Hall.
54756 N Notre Dame Ave, Notre Dame, IN 46556
McKenna Hall

Where to stay

Morris Inn

The Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH)—an Engineering Research Center funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation—will host the 2026 ERC EARTH Spring Summit, a working meeting focused on decisions, roadmaps, and collaboration.

Participants will engage directly with EARTH Leadership, Faculty, Students, and Staff from the EARTH’s six core-partner universities to:

  • Review progress on current research and technology development

  • Contribute to technical and translational roadmaps

  • Inform EARTH priorities and strategic direction

  • Strengthen cross-sector collaborations that accelerate impact

EARTH will host an event unlike those you may have attended before—a highly interactive forum designed for alignment, informed decision-making, and partnership-building around the next generation of energy-efficient, environmentally responsible HVACR systems.

Submit Registration

Closed Session Registration
For EARTH Faculty, Students, Staff, Scientific Advisory or Community Leaders Board Members, Industrial Consortium Members, and National Laboratory partners.
Closed Session registrants can attend all sessions — both Closed and Open.

Open Session Registration
Open Sessions are open to all guests including Professional Organizations, Stakeholders, Policy and Industry Leaders, and other invited guests.
Open Session registrants can attend Open Sessions only.

Important:
One registration applies for the entire summit. Registration Deadline is February 20, 2026.
Closed Session Registration Closed Session Registration
Open Session Registration Open Session Registration
Event Schedule
2026 ERC EARTH Spring Summit | University of Notre Dame | McKenna Hall
 
Wednesday, March 11
MinutesTime EDT BeginTime EDT EndEventLocation
1207:30 PM       9:30 PM        Welcome Reception 
Thursday, March 12
MinutesTime EDT BeginTime EDT EndEventLocation
608:00 AM9:00 AMBreakfastPre-Function
108:15 AM8:25 AMWelcome by Mark McCready, Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs, University of Notre Dame215-216
58:25 AM8:30 AMWelcome and Introductions215-216
308:30 AM9:00 AMPerfect Pitch Final Competition215-216
159:00 AM9:15 AMBreak 
   -HFC Circularity- 
159:15 AM9:30 AMRuilan Guo, University of Notre Dame; Gas Separation Membranes 215-216
159:30 AM9:45 AMAndrew Yancey, University of Kansas; Zeolites for HFC Separation 215-216
159:45 AM10:00 AMLuc Mauro, Lehigh University; HFC Conversion215-216
2510:00 AM10:25 AMModerated Discussion215-216
1510:25 AM10:40 AMBreak 
   -Metal Organic Supercontainers (MOSCs)- 
1510:40 AM10:55 AMKriti Chitrakar, University of South Dakota; What are MOSCs & Chemistries Being Made215-216
1510:55 AM11:10 AMBess Vlaisavljevich, University of Iowa; DFT Calculations on Interactions of HFCs with MOSCs215-216
1511:10 AM11:25 AM 215-216
2511:25 AM11:50 AMModerated Discussion215-216
6011:50 AM12:50 PMLunch215-216
   -Alternative Cooling and Manufacturing- 
1512:50 PM1:05 PMYanliang Zhang, University of Notre Dame; Printed Thermoelectrics215-216
151:05 PM1:20 PMBoyang Liu, University of Maryland; Elastocaloric Cooling215-216
151:20 PM1:35 PMGianna Valentino, University of Maryland; Elastocaloric Material Manufacturing215-216
251:35 PM2:00 PMModerated Discussion215-216
152:00 PM2:15 PMBreak 
452:15 PM3:00 PMPoster Session 1205/206/207         
453:00 PM3:45 PMPoster Session 2205/206/207
   -Concurrent Sessions Begin- 
1203:45 PM5:45 PMCareer and Support Lounge205/206/207
1203:45 PM5:45 PMScience Advisory Board Meeting204
1203:45 PM5:45 PMIndustrial Advisory Board Meeing202
   -Concurrent Sessions End- 
606:00 PM7:00 PMReception and NetworkingFoley's/O'Neil Hall
907:00 PM8:30 PMDinner and SpeakerFoley's/O'Neil Hall
908:30 PM10:00 PMCouncil of Students Game Night 
Friday, March 13
MinutesTime EDT BeginTime EDT EndEventLocation
158:00 AM8:15 AMBreakfastPre-Function
458:00 AM8:45 AMEARTH Industry Overview and New Member Orientation202
108:15 AM8:25 AMWelcome from ND Research VP215-216
58:25 AM8:30 AMWelcome and Introductions215-216
   -Environmental Policy and Regulations- 
158:30 AM8:45 AMEARTH-Member; Innovation Barriers from High Diversity and Regulatory Landscape215-216
158:45 AM9:00 AMAllen Vincent, University of Hawaiʻi Manoa; HFC Atmospheric Decomposition Chemistry215-216
159:00 AM9:15 AMJake Casselman, University of Hawaiʻi Manoa; Thermodynamic Discrepancies in Climatic Indices: The Impact of Refrigeration Efficiency on Cooling Degree Days215-216
459:15 AM10:00 AMEnvironmental Policy and Regulations Panel215-216
1510:00 AM10:15 AMBreak 
4510:15 AM11:00 AMIndustry Refrigerant Circularity Panel 215-216
4511:00 AM11:45 AMWorkforce Development Event (Ivy Tech, Pennsylvania College of Technology)215-216
6011:45 AM12:45 PMLunch and Networking215-216
1512:45 PM1:00 PMGroups Gather for Lab & Campus ToursPre-Function
1201:00 PM3:00 PMLab Tours 
1201:00 PM3:00 PMCampus Tours 
602:15 PM3:15 PMWorkforce & Impact Committee Meeting204
153:00 PM3:15 PMTour Groups Return to McKenna Hall215-216
153:15 PM3:30 PMBreak 
303:30 PM4:00 PMClosing Remarks215-216

Airport & Ground Transportation

Event Contact
574-360-3992
Directions to McKenna Hall at the University of Notre Dame

Have questions?

Email us at erc-earth@ku.edu

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