September 24, 2014|Jessica McMathis
ms&t14

 

MS&T14 (October 12–16 in Pittsburgh, Pa.) is not only the Super Bowl of materials science, but also the site of ACerS 116th Annual Meeting, during which the Society will honor its awards class of 2014. That class includes four lecturers who will explore innovations in and the expanded sustainability of advanced ceramics; the enigmas of borate glasses and crystals; new demands for high-performance optical fibers; and a single analytical framework for examining brittle fracture strength. In the weeks leading up to the meeting, we preview these award lectures—four not to miss at MS&T14.

Wright_photo125x148Borate glasses and crystals don’t behave like silicates, that we know.

They’re enigmas. Mysterious, puzzling, and often difficult to understand.

One person who gets them, however, is Adrian Wright, professor emeritus at the University of Reading (Berkshire, United Kingdom).

Wright will dissect the mysterious behaviors of borate crystals and glasses during the ACerS Edward Orton, Jr. Memorial Lecture, Tuesday, October 14 at 1 p.m., in Room 407 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. (Read more about the award here.)

Four reasons to attend

  1. Borate glasses and crystals are your thing/aren’t your thing (but you’d like them to be).
  2. You can say pentapotassium enneakaidekaborate three times fast.
  3. You’re well aware that Adrian Wright is a rockstar in the world of borosilicates.
  4. In between all the fun of the Material Advantage Mug Drop and Disc Golf contests (pdf), a little workout for the brain is in order.

 

Four facts about the lecturer

  1. Wright’s research interests comprise neutron scattering and modeling studies of structure and dynamics of a wide range of inorganic glasses and other amorphous solids.
  2. Wright has more than 2,000 publications and has served on the steering committee and council of the International Commission on Glass.
  3. He’s the recipient of the ACerS GOMD George W. Morey Award and an ACerS Fellow. He also is former president of the Society of Glass Technology.
  4. Wright received the 2012 Otto Schott Research Award for his “lifelong outstanding scholarly work devoted to the experimental study of glass structure in general.” Plus, he wears a bow tie. And bow ties are cool.

 

Four things to remember

  1. Who—Adrian Wright, University of Reading
  2. What—ACerS Edward Orton, Jr. Memorial Lecture
  3. When/Where—Tuesday, October 14 at 1 p.m., Room 407 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.
  4. Why—See “Four reasons to come” (and see you there!)

Registered for MS&T14? Review the technical program or use our premeeting planner to prepare for your week in the Steel City. For those who have yet to register for MS&T14, what are you waiting for? Head here to secure your spot now.

For the latest MS&T news, including updates through the week of the meeting, find us on Facebook, Twitter (use #matsci14), Google+, and LinkedIn.

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