"IT'S A MATERIALS WORLD: The Value of Materials in Business in Society"Graduates of Earth and Mineral Sciences (GEMS) alumni board, in conjunction with the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, hosted more than 150 students, faculty, staff, and alumni at a seminar at the HUB-Robeson Center on September 16, 2004 entitled, "It's a Materials World: The Value of Materials to Business and Society." Department of Materials Science and Engineering, one of the country's top engineering departments, was showcased during the seminar. Current students were given the opportunity to interact with Penn State alumni, thus enriching their University experience. Executives from American Superconductor, Bayer, Polyclad Laminates, and Johnson & Johnson were also on hand to discuss business issues affecting their companies and the industry as a whole. Pennsylvania Ceramics Association, during which students were given the opportunity to interact one-on-one with the speakers. For the past twelve years, GEMS has been working to build connections among EMS students, alumni, faculty, and staff by directing alumni programming and events that encourage professional networking. The group takes pride in its student mentoring, alumni recognition, and communications program.Please visit the GEMS web site for more information. For information on any of the more than 300 affiliate groups please visit the Penn State Alumni Association's web site. |
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GREGORY J. YUREK, Ph.D. American
Superconductor Corporation Dr. Gregory J. Yurek, Founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC), is a recognized global leader in the development and commercialization of breakthrough technologies for large-scale electrical systems. Under Dr. Yurek's leadership, American Superconductor has become the world market and technology leader in high temperature superconductor (HTS) products and the leading vendor of advanced power electronics-based grid stabilization solutions. AMSC markets its products to the electric power, industrial processing, transportation, medical and defense industries. He received his Ph.D. in metallurgical engineering from Ohio State University in 1973 and obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees in metallurgy from The Pennsylvania State University in 1969 and 1970, respectively. To view Dr. Yurek's presentation titled, "Advanced
Materials: Discovery to Commercialization," |
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ANGELO G. SCOPELIANOS, Ph.D. Johnson
& Johnson In 1988, Dr. Scopelianos joined the Johnson & Johnson Corporation and since then he has held numerous managerial positions within the company. Most notably, in 1996 he was appointed Director of the newly created "J&J Corporate Biomaterials Center" and in October of 1998, he was promoted to the position of Vice President, R&D for the "Center for Biomaterials & Advanced Technologies" (CBAT). CBAT is an applied research and early product development organization whose mission is to provide the various J&J companies with new proprietary biomaterials, as well as cell based and controlled release technologies leading to novel and proprietary products. Dr. Scopelianos received his doctorate in Organic Chemistry from The Pennsylvania State University in 1982 following completion of a Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY-Oneonta in 1977. He joined E. I. DuPont's Medical products division in 1982, and after spending five years at DuPont's experimental station, he joined Elf Acquitance (formerly Pennwalt) as a Manager of the "Drug Delivery Systems" Group. To view Dr. Scopelianos' presentation titled, "Material Breakthroughs in Medicine and Health Care," CLICK HERE |
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WILLIAM D. VARNELL, Ph.D. Polyclad
Laminates Bill Varnell is the Corporate Director of Research and Development for the Polyclad Laminates Division of Cookson Electronics. As Corporate Director of R&D, he has global responsibility for new product and technology development. Polyclad Laminates is a leading global producer of high performance electronic substrates. Bill has held this position since 1966. In 1982 Bill obtained his Ph.D. in Polymer Science from The Pennsylvania State University. He also earned his B.S. and M.S. in Polymer Science from Penn State. In 1996 Bill was named a Centennial Fellow and Outstanding Alumnus for the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Bill currently holds five patents and has authored more than 50 technical publications and presentations. He lives in Concord, New Hampshire with his wife and three children. To view Dr. Varnell's presentation titled, "Politics vs. Science: The Impact of Global Health, Safety, and Environmental Legislation on the Electronics Industry," CLICK HERE |
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ROBERT J. KUMPF, Ph.D. Bayer
MaterialScience LLC Bob Kumpf is Vice President of future business for Bayer MaterialScience LLC. In this role he leads the group responsible for developing the materials of the future by focusing on innovative-driven polymer products, next-generation application trends and new complex technologies. As a member of the global R&D team, Bob's efforts will ensure the continuing growth of Bayer MaterialScience well into the 21st Century. Bob joined Bayer in 1988 as a research chemist after graduating from Penn State University with a Ph.D. in Polymer Science. He holds various positions in research and product development including two assignments in Germany. He currently holds 20 U.S. or European patents and has published 21 articles in various scientific journals. To view Dr. Kumpf's presentation titled, "Adaptability
and Change in the Materials Industry," |
