The Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation (CGIF) and The Glass Manufacturing Industry Council (GMIC), both located in Columbus, Ohio, are pleased to announce receipt of a $20,000 grant from the O-I Charities Foundation of Perrysburg, Ohio, to support CGIF outreach programs and provide travel grants to college-age students.

The CGIF will use $10,000 of the grant to support the Foundation’s programs which introduce middle school and high school students to ceramic and glass science.  The remaining $10,000 will fund travel grants that will allow 20 college-age students to attend the 77th Conference on Glass Problems to be held November 7 – 10, 2016, at the Greater Columbus (Ohio) Convention Center. The conference is the largest glass manufacturing conference in North America and attracts glass manufacturers and suppliers worldwide to exchange innovations and solutions.

“We are extremely grateful to the O-I Charities Foundation for this generous grant which will enable us to expand our outreach programs,” said Marcus Fish, Director of Development for the CGIF. “Providing travel assistance to students helps further our mission of supporting the next generation of glass scientists and engineers.”

“This grant demonstrates how everyone benefits when progressive organizations like the O-I Charities Foundation commit to investing in the future of their community”, said Robert Weisenburger Lipetz, GMIC’s Executive Director.  “It provides students the valuable opportunity to interact with industry leaders at the Conference on Glass Problems.”

The Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation was created in 2014 by The American Ceramic Society to attract, inspire, and train the next generation of ceramic and glass professionals.  In pursuit of its mission, the CGIF developed and manages a number of programs in the areas of K-12 student outreach, university-industry networks, and the Ceramic and Glass Career Center.

The Glass Manufacturing Industry Council is a trade association of the glass industry that includes among its members glass companies, suppliers to the glass industry, research institutes, and industry experts. The GMIC’s mission is to promote interests, economic growth, and sustainability of the glass industry through education and cooperation in the areas of technology, productivity, innovation, and the environment.

Owens-Illinois, Inc. (O-I) is the world’s largest glass container manufacturer and preferred partner for many of the world’s leading food and beverage brands. The company employs approximately 27,000 people at 81 plants in 23 countries. With global headquarters in Perrysburg, Ohio, O-I delivers safe, sustainable, pure, iconic, brand-building glass packaging to a growing global marketplace.

Author

Stephanie Liverani