The Refractories Institute, one of ACerS’ allies in the field of promoting interest in refractory ceramic science and engineering, issued two announcements about the organization this week.
The first is TRI has a new set of officers and members of its board of directors. At its annual membership meeting, TRI members elected the following individuals to two-year terms: Stephen J. Nock (The Nock and Son Company), chair; Louis S. Goltermann III (Alsey Refractories), vice chair; and Guenter Karhut (ANH Refractories), treasurer.
Regarding the TRI board, the group’s executive committee will be composed of Dell Hadden (Morgan Thermal Ceramics), Daniel W. Lease (Whetstone Technology), Michael K. Pierce (C-E Minerals) and Jonathan K. Tabor (Allied Mineral Products). Other board members for the 2012-2014 term are Timothy Albertson (Wahl Refractory Solutions). William K. Brown (Resco Products), Abel Carriquiry (Refractarios Peruanos S.A.), Dennis A. Hageman Sr. (Missouri Refractories), Hank Jamerson (Kyanite Mining Corp.), William P. Kelly (Unifrax Corp.), R. David Lane (Clayburn Industrial Group), Lee Morris (Riverside Refractories) and James Piraino (Magnesita Refractories).
Also, TRI announced that it has awarded $5,000 scholarships to assist the education of three students working toward careers in the the refractories field. The institute has an excellent program where each year it offers a limited number of scholarships “to support qualified students enrolled in degree programs who have exhibited an interest in refractory manufacturing through course work or other activities, and who might be considering a career in the refractory industry.” The 2012-2013 scholarship recipients are Nathan Garletts, Alfred University; Daniel Kramer, Penn State University; and Rebecca Mullens, Missouri University for Science and Technology.
Scholarship winners are selected based on their academic merit and their demonstrated experience and interest in the field of refractories. Scholarships will be awarded in the form of one time grants of $5,000 each, based on the review of applications and the judgment of the TRI Scholarship Committee and Board of Directors. Previous TRI Scholarship recipients are not eligible for further consideration.
Refractories is an important but often overlooked area of ceramic materials, and good job opportunities are usually there for the taking for those who have completed their studies. Students studying in North America who are interested in TRI scholarships for the 2013-2014 period should stay in contact with the group. Typically, TRI announces the open period for applications at the beginning of each year and sets a deadline near the end of March. Winners, then, are usually announced in June.