[Image above] 2021 Distinguished Life Members: William E. Lee, Kathleen A. Richardson, and Anil Virkar.
WESTERVILLE, Ohio, June 15, 2021: The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) will award three members the honor of the organization’s 2021 Distinguished Life Members: William E. Lee, Kathleen A. Richardson, and Anil Virkar. The Distinguished Life Member Award is the highest honor accorded to members of the scientific and technical organization and recognizes eminent contribution to the ceramic and glass profession.
“Congratulations to the highly deserving class of 2021 Distinguished Life Members. I look forward to celebrating with the ACerS community in October this prestigious recognition of their long standing and notable dedication to the Society and outstanding achievements in the ceramic and glass sciences,” says Dana Goski, ACerS president.
The awards will be presented at the Society’s Annual Honor and Awards banquet, Oct. 18, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio, during the ACerS Annual Meeting held at the Materials Science and Technology Conference, October 17–21, in Columbus, Ohio.
The 2021 Distinguished Life Members are:
William E. Lee
William E. Lee is Sêr Cymru Professor of Materials at Bangor University in Wales and Emeritus Professor in the Department of Materials at Imperial College, London. He received his B.S. degree in physical metallurgy from Aston University and Ph.D. in radiation damage in sapphire from the University of Oxford. Lee previously held faculty positions at Ohio State University and the University of Sheffield, as well as post-doctoral positions at Case Western Reserve University and Oxford.
Lee’s research has covered a broad range of ceramics including refractories, whitewares, glass ceramics, nuclear waste and fuels, ultrahigh-temperature ceramics, and ceramic matrix composites. He has been an ACerS member for more than 35 years and is an ACerS Fellow. He has served the Society in a variety of roles, including as ACerS president in 2016–17, associate editor of JACerS and IJAGS, member of the International Globalization Task Force, the Board of Directors, and several Society committees. He has received the W. David Kingery Award. He also belongs to ACerS Basic Science Division, Energy Materials and Systems Division, and Engineering Ceramics Division.
Kathleen A. Richardson
Kathleen A. Richardson is the Pegasus Professor of Optics and Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Central Florida. She received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in ceramics and glass science and engineering at Alfred University. Richardson’s previous experiences include founding CTO and board chairman of Irradiance Glass Inc, school director and department chair of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Clemson University, and R&D manager at Schott Glass Inc.
Richardson’s research has involved pioneering work in infrared optical materials, glass-ceramics, and chalcogenide glasses. She has been an ACerS member for more than 35 years and is an ACerS Fellow. She has served the Society in a variety of roles, including as ACerS president (2014–15), Western NY Section chair, on the Executive and Program committees and as Division chair for the Glass & Optical Materials Division, president of the National Institute of Ceramic Engineers (2008–09), and was a founding member of the Board of the Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation. She has received the Arthur L. Friedberg Award and the Alfred R. Cooper Lecture Award.She also belongs to ACerS Glass & Optical Materials Division and Manufacturing Division.
Anil Virkar
Anil Virkar is Distinguished Professor of Materials Science at the University of Utah. He received his B.S. degree in metallurgical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, M.S. degree in engineering mechanics from Louisiana State University, and Ph.D. in materials science at Northwestern University. He joined the University of Utah in 1973, first as post-doctoral fellow and then as a faculty member, where he has remained for his entire career.
Virkar’s research has spanned processing, modeling, and engineering solutions and include solid oxide fuel cells, proton exchange membrane fuel cells, sodium-sulfur, and lithium-ion batteries. He has been an ACerS member for more than 50 years and is an ACerS Fellow. He has received the Ross Coffin Purdy Award and John Jeppson Award. He also belongs to ACerS Basic Science Division.
Media contact
Eileen De Guire
- Director, Technical Content and Communications
- 614-794-5828
- edeguire@ceramics.org
About ACerS
Founded in 1898, The American Ceramic Society is the leading professional membership organization for ceramic and materials scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, plant personnel, educators, and students. The Society serves more than 10,000 members from more than 70 countries. www.ceramics.org