[Image above] Credit: ACerS
The Washington, D.C./Virginia/Maryland Section of The American Ceramic Society hosted its largest-ever in-person networking event on March 13, drawing more than 40 attendees from academic institutions, federal laboratories, and industry. The turnout sent a clear signal: the ceramics community in the greater Washington DC region is ready to connect.
The DMV corridor is home to a remarkably dense concentration of ceramics-relevant activity. Dozens of advanced ceramics companies, world-class university research programs, and multiple federal laboratories all operate within a short drive of one another. Despite that concentration of expertise, the region has historically lacked regular opportunities for face-to-face professional engagement. This event was a significant step toward changing that.
The program opened with the presentation of the Washington DC/Virginia/Maryland Section Student Research and Travel Awards. Two invited speakers then offered perspectives on future of ceramic science. Carol A. Handwerker, a professor of materials engineering at Purdue University, presented “Grain Boundaries and the Forces that Mold Them: Inspiring Pathways in Science and Life.” Shenqiang Ren, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park, presented “Materials Beyond Limit: Synthesis and Processing of Preceramic Precursors.”
Beyond the formal program, attendees made new connections spanning the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, UMBC, The Catholic University of America, TA Instruments, Ion Storage Systems, Tethon, NASA, NIST, the Naval Research Laboratory, and the Smithsonian Institution. These connections open the door to future research collaborations and workforce development across the region.
The Section will be planning its next event soon. If you work in ceramics in the DMV and want to get involved, reach out to the ACerS Washington DC/Virginia/Maryland Section board.
