Society/Division/Section/Chapter News

For more information: ceramics.org

Welcome new ACerS Corporate Partners

ACerS is pleased to welcome its newest Corporate Partners: Akcoat Advanced Chemical Coating Materials and SINAPTIC Technologies.

To learn about the benefits of ACerS Corporate Partnership, contact Marcus Fish, director of development and industry relations, at 614-794-5863 or mfish@ceramics.org.

Alfred University hosts AACCM Fall Meeting

Alfred University hosted the fall meeting of the Association of American Ceramic Component Manufacturers (AACCM) on Sept. 13–14, 2023. Approximately 420 AACCM members attended the event, which included presentations by several faculty from Alfred University’s Inamori School of Engineering and tours of the Inamori School’s McMahon Engineering building and local ceramics manufacturing businesses.

Michigan/Northwest Ohio Section attends baseball game

Members of the ACerS Michigan/Northwest Ohio Section gathered to cheer on the Toledo Mudhens as they took on the Columbus Clippers on Sept. 14, 2023. Guests gathered at The Coop and enjoyed complementary tickets into the game, along with buffet-style food service and a variety of beverages.

SoCal Section tours American Museum of Ceramic Art

The ACerS Southern California Section held a networking and social outing with a weekend visit to the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, California.

The museum has a variety of ceramic items, from mass produced steins and mugs from the 1850s, fine art ceramics from the 1950s studio pottery movement, and pieces made in recent times. Renovation is currently underway on more than half of the museum, and completion is expected next year.

After viewing the museum, the group toured the adjacent building that houses a large space for artists in residence; kilns for various standard, salt, and soda firing methods; and classroom space for workshops and introductions to clay. As engineers and scientists, the members were fascinated to see how artists leverage the chemistry and properties of clay to produce such a large variety of colors, textures, and shapes.

Pittsburgh Section holds annual golf outing

The ACerS Pittsburgh Section held the Annual Pittsburgh Golf Outing on Sept. 11, 2023. The day boasted wonderful weather and fun for all.

The Section thanks the following hole sponsors for their support:

• Aluchem
• Chiz Brothers
• Fusion Ceramics Inc.
• Harbison Walker International
• Henry F. Teichmann
• Imerys / KT Clay
• Refractory Anchors
• Standard Ceramic
• Swindell Dressler

All proceeds from the outing go toward the Pittsburgh Sections’ J. Earl Frazier Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will be awarded to a college senior majoring in ceramics, materials science, and/or engineering.

Thanks to all the winners, participants, and staff at The Links at Spring Church for helping make the outing a huge success!

UK International Chapter co-hosts one-day meeting on ‘Inorganic materials for resource and energy efficiency’

The ACerS United Kingdom International Chapter and TFIN+ co-organized a one-day meeting at the University of Sheffield on “Inorganic materials for resource and energy efficiency.” The meeting, which welcomed more than 50 delegates, included speakers from the Universities of Leeds, Manchester, and Sheffield; London South Bank University; Queen Mary University London; and Johnson Tiles.

The meeting provided an excellent platform to promote knowledge and collaboration in the ceramics community. The emphasis was on resource and energy efficiency in manufacturing and application, for example, in areas ranging from low-temperature ceramic processing to improved thermal barrier coatings for more efficient jet engines.

The meeting formed part of a yearly sequence of ceramic meetings that will continue in 2024 to help the ceramics industry and community create innovative solutions toward net-zero carbon emission.

Southwest India International Chapter holds inauguration ceremony

ACerS past president Sanjay Mathur and Indian Ceramic Society president Sudipta Saha officially inaugurated the ACerS Southwest India Chapter on Sept. 22, 2023, with C. D. Madhusoodana as chair, Ravi Kumar as secretary, and S. Chandrashekar as treasurer. The event was jointly organized with the Karnataka Chapter of the Indian Ceramic Society.

In addition, a meeting on “Research-to-business (R2B) on ceramics and advanced materials—Innovative and emerging materials” welcomed 83 delegates, who listened to talks by 17 speakers from industry, government, and academia. The event ended with a panel discussion that featured nine experts deliberating on R2B barriers and ways to overcome them.

Refractories industry takes on the carbon challenge at UNITECR 2023

The Unified International Conference on Refractories, 18^th Biennial Worldwide Congress on Refractories took place in Frankfurt, Germany, Sept. 26–29, 2023. Organized by the German Refractories Association, the conference welcomed more than 1,100 attendees to hear 219 talks, view 53 posters, and talk to 34 exhibitors.

The theme of the conference was “The carbon challenge: Steps and leaps to master the future.” The program fulfilled this theme with forward-looking sessions on topics such as hydrogen fuel for steelmaking, refractory recycling, and modeling and digitalization.

“UNITECR 2023 in Frankfurt was a great success and topped our already high expectations, and I want to thank all who contributed to it! Our industry accepts the carbon challenge and works on solutions,” says Andus Buhr, UNITECR 2023 president.

Besides the strong attendance, organizers were especially pleased that half of the participants were less than 45 years old and about 21% were women.

A highlight of the social program was a gala reception where ACerS Fellows Nancy Bunt and Christopher Parr were named UNITECR Distinguished Life Members along with Peter Quirmbach, a former ACerS member.

UNITECR 2025 will be held Oct. 27–20, 2025, in Cancun, Mexico. To start planning, visit www.unitecr2025.com.

In Memoriam

• Joe Cochran
• L. Stanley Zielinski

Some detailed obituaries can also be found on the ACerS website.

Volunteer spotlight

ACerS Volunteer Spotlight profiles a member who demonstrates outstanding service to the Society.

Jamie L. Weaver is research chemist in the Material Measurement Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. She has a Ph.D. in chemistry from Washington State University, as well as a B.A. in art conservation from the University of Delaware and a B.S. in general physical science from Washington State University.

Weaver’s research focus areas are the metrology of light elements (e.g., lithium, boron, nitrogen, helium, chlorine) and solid-state materials resilience. She has made contributions in the fields of cultural heritage preservation, battery chemistry, nuclear waste glass science, and glass durability. In 2021, she and colleagues received a U.S. Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Group Award for their work studying the filtration properties of cloth materials used in the production of facemasks.

Weaver is currently chair of the Art, Archeology, & Conservation Science Division.

We extend our deep appreciation to Weaver for her service to our Society!

Names in the news

Members—Would you like to be included in the Bulletin’s Names in the News? Please send a current head shot along with the link to the article to mmartin@ceramics.org. The deadline is the 30^th of each month.

Dwight Viehland, the Jack E. Cowling Professor of materials science and engineering at Virgina Tech, will serve as principal investigator of a new Sensing and Cyber Center of Excellence, which received $10 million in funding from the Department of Defense. This initiative, which includes collaborators at The Pennsylvania State University and the Army Research Laboratory, will provide numerous research opportunities for graduate students. Other ACerS members in the multidisciplinary team led by Viehland include Christina Rost (Virginia Tech) and Susan Trolier-McKinstry (Penn State).

Awards and Deadlines

For more information: ceramics.org/members/awards

2023 Ceramographic Exhibit

Roland B. Snow Award for Best in Show

“Glide plane” on Nb–SrTiO₃–by Chukwudalu Okafor; TU Darmstadt, Germany

Optical Microscopy category

First: “Glide plane” on Nb–SrTiO₃–by Chukwudalu Okafor; TU Darmstadt, Germany
Second: Domain frosted window–by Oliver Preuss; TU Darmstadt, Germany
Third: MXene marvel on Mars–by Ken Aldren Usman; Purdue University, Indiana

Scanning Electron Microscopy category

First: SiC pumpkin–by Kartik Nemani; Purdue University, Indiana
Second: MXene nanosaurus–by Anupma Thakur; Purdue University, Indiana
Third: The Grand Canyon–by Joseph Wood; University of California, Davis

Transmission Electron Microscopy category

First: Hot air balloon trip–by Chao Shen; Purdue University, Indiana
Second: MXene anatase eagle–by Nithin Chandran; Purdue University, Indiana
Third: MXene morpho butterfly–by Anupma Thakur; Purdue University, Indiana

Society awards: NEW nominations deadline: March 1, 2024

Contact: Erica Zimmerman

ACerS changed the Society award nominations deadline from January 15 to March 1 to allow sufficient time for nomination preparations and submissions. Society awards will be presented at the Annual Awards Banquet during ACerS Annual Meeting at MS&T in October 2024.

Class and Division awards: Nominations due Jan. 15, 21, or 31, 2024

Contact: Vicki Evans

Students and Outreach

For more information: ceramics.org/resources-for-students

2024 ACerS Mentor Program applications now open

Sign up today for The American Ceramic Society’s Mentor Programs!

ACerS Mentor Programs connect members in an impactful way to help them grow personally and professionally. The programs are designed to equip participants with the insight, tools, and connections necessary to make a lasting impact in their current and future career.

ACerS offers the following Mentor Programs:

• Student mentor program
• Faculty mentor program
• Industry mentor program

Space is limited. The deadline to sign up for the 2024 Mentor Programs is Dec. 15, 2023. Sign up at https://ceramics.org/mentorship.

ACerS GGRN—graduate student membership for ceramic and glass students

Have you made the decision to further your education by obtaining a master’s or Ph.D.? If that degree includes ceramics or glass, GGRN membership is your first step on the path toward post-graduate success.

ACerS Global Graduate Research Network provides graduate students with the benefits of an ACerS membership for only $30 per year. Join ACerS as a GGRN and enjoy these benefits:

• Student leadership opportunities
• Mentorship programs
• Outreach initiatives

Visit www.ceramics.org/ggrn to learn more about what GGRN can do for you and to join.

Westerville Central students learn the science behind hot glass at Glass Axis

The sound of breaking glass fills the parking lot at Glass Axis as a group of high school students equipped with safety goggles watch, jostling each other for the best view. A graduate student volunteer then pulls the group back into focus and begins explaining the scientific principles behind the demonstration they just saw.

The high school students are from Westerville Central High School (Westerville, Ohio) and are enrolled in Jody Christy’s materials science course. Christy brought nearly 80 of these students to Glass Axis in Columbus, Ohio, for an interactive field trip, which was facilitated by the Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation (CGIF) and funded by a grant from the Westerville Fund of the Columbus Foundation.

The field trip involved three stations for the students: first, a live hot glass demonstration conducted and narrated by Glass Axis facilities manager and instructor Rose McVey; second, a panel discussion with ceramic and glass industry professionals; and third, a glass breaking demonstration with graduate students from Alfred University and a CGIF candy fiber pull demonstration that uses melted hard candy to mimic stretched hot glass.

The glass breaking demonstration involved showing the differences between tempered and nontempered glass, the stress and tension layers in glass, and the diverse ways that glass is used in society. Volunteers from The Ohio State University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Colorado School of Mines, and GE Research also attended.

Christy, who originally began teaching materials science when there was a course vacancy, had no idea that the field was an option when she was in school.

“I learn by hands-on, so I teach hands-on,” she says. “So that’s why I love the course: it’s hands-on. And the best part is kids take the course because they [think] it’s an easy class, and it’s not that it’s easy, it’s just taught in a way that you don’t realize you’re learning.”

The three-hour event, dubbed a Glass Learning Opportunities Workshop (GLOW), helped introduce materials science concepts that the students will be learning in Christy’s course later this year. One of Christy’s most exciting moments as a teacher is when her students use scientific concepts on their own after learning about them.

“That’s the key, is they come in and they do things and then I tell them about what happened, and then later, I’ll hear them use those science words again, and I’m like ‘My children are learning!’ And I get excited,” she says.

The goal of GLOW is to increase students’ awareness of glass science and materials science in general, in addition to their awareness about the potential career paths these fields offer in central Ohio.

The CGIF is grateful that the Westerville Fund of the Columbus Foundation was able to make GLOW possible for these Westerville students.

Help CGIF attract more students to the field of materials science and engineering by visiting ceramics.org/donate.