AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY

By Erica Marden
The annual MS&T
conference in
Columbus, Ohio, this
year had a myriad of
opportunities available
for students.
The ACerS PCSA cosponsored
an industry tour of Owens Corning
Science and Technology in Granville,
Ohio, which allowed students to visit a
commercial, innovative research center
(see inset). Other activities aimed specifically
for students included the Mug
Drop Contest, Undergraduate Student
Speaking Competition, student posters,
student mixer, graduate school information
program, career forum, and a session
on networking.
MS&T gives students the chance to
interact with leaders in the field and
learn about current research in very
specific areas of interest. As Georgia
Tech grad student,Tim Pruyn, says,
“I had a great time at MS&T. Not
only was it nice to see old friends from
undergrad there, I also found all the
talks I went to both informative and
Student group tours Owens Corning facility
As part of the 2011 Materials Science and
Technology Conference and Exhibition, more
than 30 students toured the Owens Corning
Science and Technology Center in nearby
Granville, Ohio. Their visit included overviews
of the Acoustics Research Center, a lab used
in the development of next-generation glasses,
a mimic line for the fabrication of high-performance
glass mats that are used in a range
American Ceramic Society Bulletin, Vol. 90, No. 9 | www.ceramics.org
interesting.”
Lorraine Hossain, a
freshman from Penn
State, attended the
conference for the first
time. She explained, “I
really enjoyed attending
MS&T! Listening
to the speakers get
excited about their
research reconfirmed
my decision to major in materials science
and engineering. I was also able
to garner good communication skills by
networking with all of the companies
at the Expo. As a freshman, I felt this
conference was a great experience and
a keen insight into the modern world of
materials!”
The ACerS PCSA delegates in
attendance had the special experience
of attending The American Ceramic
Society’s Honors and Awards Banquet.
The food was delicious, the decorations
beautiful and the chocolate buckeyes
amazing!
But most rewarding was learning
about the fascinating careers and
accomplishments of extraordinary
faculty and professionals in the field.
Attendees were there from all around
of composite materials and an overview of a
novel glass fiber-based insulating material that
is made from greater than 99 percent natural
materials.
Ashish Diwanji, Owens Corning’s vice president
of technology for its Composites System
Business, discussed opportunities and challenges
in a global, fast-paced R&D organization. The
tour was an outstanding opportunity to expose
Missouri University of Science and Technology was recognized with the
Keramos “Most Outstanding Chapter” award.
the world.
The PCSA delegates also got to
interact with a much younger crowd
when we helped at the Materials Camp
for high school students. We did a
piezoelectric demo using a singing
greeting card and buzzer as well as demonstration
with liquid nitrogen to teach
concepts of elasticity, fracture strength
and crystallization.
From the appetizers at the student
mixer, to the ACerS award dinner,
to the freeze-dried marshmallows at
Materials Camp, MS&T 2011 offered
yummy food, great networking opportunities
and exposure to a wide variety
of current research for students from
universities nationwide. n
a select group of students to a world-class,
industrial R&D environment while letting Owens
Corning learn about the interests of undergraduate
and graduate students from schools ranging
from Alfred University to the University of
Wisconsin-Madison.
—Jim Davis, Corporate Lab Leader, Owens
Corning Science and Technology
15
(Credit: Owens Corning Science & Technology Center)