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.

John Ballato_photo 125x148

 Optical fibers have improved our ability to transmit information, but could expanding the composition of optics expand their applications?

John Ballato, vice president for economic development at Clemson University, will present a lecture that reimagines the materials from which commercially-relevant optical fibers can be made during ACerS/NICE Arthur L. Friedberg Memorial Lecture, Tuesday, October 14 at 9 a.m., in Room 406 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. (Read more about the award here.)

 Four reasons to come

  1. You work with optics, glass, or silica.
  2. As far as you’re concerned, the Periodic Table is the only table.
  3. You dig provocative thought about materials, and the beauty of glass science.
  4. You’ll be half-way through MS&T, and could use a jumpstart by way of critical thinking.

Four facts about the lecturer

  1. Ballato is a professor of materials science and engineering, and director of the Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies at Clemson.
  2. He holds more than 25 U.S. and foreign patents and has given more than 150 keynote or invited lectures (aka, don’t miss this talk).
  3. He knows the governor: Ballato is an ACerS Fellow and the recipient of the 2014 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Research from the governor of South Carolina.
  4. As a member of the Clemson faculty, he was honored with the Class of ’39 Award of Excellence, the highest achievement of service to the university.

 

Four things to remember

  1. Who—John Ballato, Clemson University
  2. What—ACerS/NICE Arthur L. Friedberg Memorial Lecture
  3. When/Where—Tuesday, October 14 at 9 a.m., Room 303 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.

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Author

Jessica McMathis

CTT Categories

  • Electronics
  • Energy
  • Glass
  • Material Innovations
  • Optics