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OBITUARY
WAC Member Fred Lange passed away suddenly on April 2, 2010.
Lange was a professor in materials science and chemical engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara since the mid-1980s. Over the years, he published more than 300 journal articles, particularly on topics such as power processing, fracture mechanics and damage-tolerant ceramic–metal composites. His most recent work focused on solution processing routes to single crystal films, colloidal routes to the powder processing, and the processing and properties composites. He held at least 32 patents.
Besides teaching at UCSB he had a distinguished visiting professor appointment at the National University of Singapore. He received his BS in Ceramic Science at Rutgers University, and a Ph.D. in solid-state technology at Penn State University. Early in his career he was a temporary senior scientist at AERE Harwell, joined Westinghouse R&D to become a fellow scientist, then on to Rockwell International Science Center as a group leader and later a principal scientist. He was a Jubilee Professor at Chalmers University (1983), a Miegunyah Distinguished Fellow at the University of Melbourne (2007) and a Rutgers Distinguished Engineering (2007).
Fred was elected to the World Academy of Ceramics in 1991 for his outstanding merits as a scientist and as a influential educator. His value was largely recognised by the American Ceramic Society as ACerS fellow in 1974 and Distinguished Life Member in 2002. Fred Lange won nearly every major award in ACerS including the W. David Kingery Award (2009), the Outstanding Educator Award, the John Jeppson Award, the Sosman Memorial Lecture Award, the Richard M. Fulrath Award and the Ross Coffin Purdy Award.
Lange was identified as ISI Highly Cited Researcher in 2002. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 1992. He was a Humboldt Senior Fellow in 1993 and, in 1997, won the Max Planck Research Award. Recently he was awarded the Richard Brook Prize by the European Ceramic Society (2009). In 1980, he was awarded Rockwell Engineer of the Year for recognizing the failure mode for a Space Shuttle Tile problem that arose 8 month prior to the first mission.
Dr. Singh Awarded Honorary Professorship from Harbin Institute of Technology
Academician Mrityunjay Singh, Chief Scientist, Ohio Aerospace Institute, Cleveland, OH has received prestigious Honorary Professorship from Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), China. HIT is one of China’s most prestigious universities and has its main campus in the northern Chinese city of Harbin and two satellite campuses in Weihai, Shandong Province and Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. Dr. Singh was recognized for his seminal contributions to the science and technology of engineering ceramics and composites, ceramic integration technologies, environment conscious ceramics, and energy materials and technologies. The prestigious award also acknowledges Dr. Singh’s distinguished professional career and his long term vision and contributions to implementation of advanced ceramic technologies and for enhancing understanding and collaboration within the international ceramics community.
A member of the Board of Governors of Acta Materialia, Inc., he is an Academician of the World Academy of Ceramics, Italy and Fellow of American Ceramic Society, ASM International, and the Institute of Mining, Minerals and Materials (UK). He is the recipient of more than 40 national and international awards. In 2009, he received President Award from the American Ceramic Society, Lee Hsun Award from the Chinese Academy of Sciences-IMR, China, and elected Member of the International Institute of Science of Sintering, Belgrade, Serbia.
OBITUARY
Mr. Yoichi Naruse, WAC professional member (industry) from Japan, passed away September 17, 2009, aged 85. He joined Kurosaki Refractories Co. in 1950 after majoring in ceramics at Tokyo Institute of Technology.
In addition to his highly successful management at the company as a board-of-directors member and his great contribution to the Japanese refractories industry including his services in 1988 as President of the Technical Association of Refractories, Japan, he made his best endeavors for the development of the Unified International Technical Conference on Refractories as its Distinguished Life Member.
He received the Yellow Ribbon Medal in1908 and was decorated with the Order of Merit in1993, both in recognition of his outstanding services. He was a great mentor in the community of refractories, educating and motivating many younger engineers.
13h Election to WAC
The procedures for the 13h Election to the World Academy of Ceramics have been recently completed. The following fourteen new Ademicians have been approved by the Council on July 23, 2009 on proposal of the International Advisory Board following the screening procedures of the Nomination Committee:
CLASS "SCIENCE"
 S. Best, UK  K. Byrappa, India  Takashi Goto, Japan  Jow-Lay Huang, Taiwan
 E. Ivers-Tiffée, Germany  H.-J. Kleebe, Germany  G.D. Quinn, USA  A. Safari, USA
 Yoshio Sakka, Japan  S.M. Wiederhorn, USA  Han-Ill Yoo, Korea  Yanchun Zhou, China
CLASS "INDUSTRY & INNOVATION"
 T. Ishikawa, Japan  A. Michaelis, Germany
The new Academicians will be presented and awarded with the WAC Diploma during the Opening Ceremony of the 12th International Ceramics Congress of CIMTEC 2010 (Montecatini Terme, Italy, June 6-11, 2010). Jay Singh Elected to IISS
WAC Academician Mrityunjay "Jay" Singh, Chief Scientist, Ohio Aerospace Institute, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH has been elected a full member of the International Institute for the Science of Sintering (IISS), Belgrade, Serbia. Established in 1968, IISS is an independent organization founded to promote achievements in the field of sintering along with related areas of materials science and technology. The institute also publishes the international journal “Science of Sintering”. Dr. Singh has also been appointed as regional (North American) editor of this journal.
Generally, the election of new members to the institute starts with the position of corresponding member before promotion to full membership. However, Dr. Singh was elected as full member due to his extraordinary contributions to various areas related to advanced processing and manufacturing as well as joining and integration of advanced ceramics and composites, metal-ceramic systems, and environment conscious ceramics. Currently, the organization has only about 65 full members elected from all over the world. The formal induction of new IISS members will take place during the opening ceremony of the next World Round Table Conference on Sintering in 2010.
OBITUARY
WAC Academician Anthony G. Evans passed away Wednesday morning, Sept. 9, 2009, at home with his family. Professor Evans was a renowned researcher and scientist, a dedicated teacher and mentor, and a beloved campus colleague. He made enormous contributions to university and to the world community.
Dr. Evans joined UCSB in 1985 and served as the founding chair of the top-ranked Department of Materials. He was Alcoa Professor of Materials, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Center for Multifunctional Materials and Structures, and past Director of High Performance Composites Center. An expert on the properties and behavior of advanced structural materials, Professor Evans pioneered a new understanding of the structure of ceramic-matrix composites and the mechanics of toughening brittle materials. He was one of the most highly cited authors in his field, with more than 540 publications to his name. He served as vice president of the American Ceramic Society, and as chair of the Defense Sciences Research Council.
He received numerous honors throughout his career for his achievements and public service, including the 2005 ASM International Gold Medal, the 2003 ASME Nadai Medal, and the 2002 Humboldt Research Award for Senior U.S. Scientists. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of London, and the Royal Academy of Engineering of London.
American Ceramic Society Recognizes WAC Academician
M. Singh with President’s Award
Academician Mrityunjay Singh, Chief Scientist, Ohio Aerospace Institute, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH has received the prestigious “President Award” from the American
Ceramic Society for his sustained service and remarkable contributions to the American Ceramic Society and global leadership in the field of ceramics. In the more than 110 year history
of the society, this award has been given only few times to select individuals. Dr. Singh has served and is currently serving on various society level award committees, and strategic
and long term planning committees. He has been instrumental in the development of programs dedicated to the ceramics field, including the annual International Conference and Exposition
on Advanced Ceramics and Composites. Dr. Singh also assisted with the creation of a new ceramic journal, “International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology,” a highly-ranked
publication in the field. He played a key role in raising funds for the Richard M. Fulrath Endowment of the society. The award also acknowledges Dr. Singh’s distinguished career.
Dr. Hua-Tay Lin - Recipient of the Prestigious 2010 James I. Mueller Memorial Award
Dr. Hua-Tay Lin, Group Leader of Ceramic Science and Technology Group, Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been chosen as the winner of the prestigious 2010 James I. Mueller Memorial Award in recognition of his contributions and leadership in the field of engineering ceramics. The James I. Mueller Award is the highest honor bestowed by Engineering Ceramics Division, the American Ceramic Society. As an award recipient, Lin will deliver a plenary lecture at the 34th International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites, January 24-29, 2010, Daytona Beach, FL.
Lin is an academician of the World Academy of Ceramics and fellow of ASM International, and the American Ceramic Society. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology and Secretary of Journal of Materials Engineering & Performance Committee Member, ASM International.
OBITUARY
 WAC Academician Robert Everest Newnham, 80, of State College, Pennsylvania, a resident of Foxdale Village, died at Penn State Hershey Medical Center on April 16, 2009.
He was born March 28, 1929, in Amsterdam, New York, the son of the late William E. and Dorothy M. Hamm Newnham.
On July 26, 1964, Bob married Patricia Friss Newnham, a beautiful nurse from E. Hartford, Connecticut, who survives. Bob and Pat had two children: a son, Randall E. Newnham of Reading, Pennsylvania, and a daughter, Rosemary E. Newnham of New York City. They survive, along with Randall’s wife Janet Graden, and a grandson – Johnathan Robert Newnham, and Rosemary’s husband Patrick Ying. His sister Mary Lucy Carlson, her husband Rupert, numerous nieces and nephews and their families also survive.
A graduate of four universities, Bob studied mathematics at Hartwick College (B.S., 1950), physics at Colorado State University (M.S., 1952), physics and mineralogy at Penn State (Ph.D., 1956) and crystallography at Cambridge University (Ph.D., 1960). Prior to joining the Penn State faculty in 1966, he was an I.C.I. Fellow at the Cavendish Laboratory of Cambridge University and taught in the Electrical Engineering Department of M.I.T. for 10 years.
At Penn State, Bob taught courses on Crystal Physics, Crystal Chemistry, Electroceramics, Mineralogy, Gem Minerals, Biomaterials, X-ray Diffraction, and Crystal Structure Analysis. Widely known for his enthusiastic lectures and colorful illustrations, Bob was honored with the Outstanding Educator Award of the Ceramic Education Council, and the Wilson Teaching Prize of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. During his career, he delivered the Dow Lectures at Northwestern University, the Wolff Lecture at M.I.T., the McMahon Lecture at Alfred University, the Pond Lectures at Johns Hopkins, the Maddin Lecture at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Byron Short Lecture at the University of Texas. After retirement, Bob taught for two years at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Professor Newnham was active in several professional societies serving as Editor of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Secretary of the Materials Research Society, President of the American Crystallographic Association, and Distinguished Lecturer for the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Among his many Awards was the Jeppson Medal, the E.C. Henry Award, the Bleininger Award, the David Kingery Award of the American Ceramic Society, the third Millennium Medal and Ultrasonics Achievement Award of the IEEE, the Centennial Award of the Japan Ceramics Society, the Turnbull Lecturer Award of the Materials Research Society, the Adaptive Structures Prize of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Benjamin Franklin Medal for Electrical Engineering from the Franklin Institute, and the Basic Research Award of the World Academy of Ceramics.
A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Bob Newnham wrote five books, more that 500 research papers and 20 patents on electroceramics and composite materials for electronic and acoustic applications. The composite piezoelectric transducers developed in his laboratory revolutionized the quality of ultrasound images in cardiology, obstetrics, and underwater sonar. Every major ultrasonics manufacturer in the world including several in central Pennsylvania use composite transducers based on his designs. His miniature flextensional transducers for hydrophone towed arrays is one Penn State’s most successful patents. They are widely used in underwater oil explorations and geophysical research.
During the past forty years, Bob and his long-time colleague Eric Cross, built up one of the largest ferroelectrics research programs in the world. Together they pioneered a number of new piezoelectric and electrostrictive materials for use as sensors, actuators, and capacitors. They were the first to carry out a complete classification of primary and secondary ferroics with examples of each.
He retired from Penn State in 1999 as Alcoa Professor Emeritus after serving eight years as Associate Director of the Materials Research Laboratory and 18 years as Director of the Intercollege Program on Solid State Science. Bob is remembered with great love by friends, former students, and scientific colleagues around the globe.
In private life, Bob was an unabashed liberal in politics and religion. He and his wife, Pat, were strong supporters of the peace movement, the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship of Centre County, and numerous liberal charities. In his spare time, he was an ardent mineral collector and model airplane builder. He loved the smell of airplane glue.
Dr. Hua-Tay Lin Selected as Recipient of Prestigious Lee Hsun Lecture Award
 Dr. Hua-Tay Lin, Group Leader of Ceramic Science and Technology Group, Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been chosen as a recipient of the prestigious Lee Hsun Lecture Award in recognition of his accomplishments in materials science and technology research. The Lee Hsun Lecture Award is annually administered by the Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science (SYNL) in China and the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMR CAS). As an award recipient, Lin has been invited to visit IMR in Shenyang, China to give a lecture and thus further advance the scientific cooperation between research institutions in both countries.
Lin is an academician of the World Academy of Ceramics and fellow of ASM International, and the American Ceramic Society. He is also the Editor in Chief of International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology and Secretary of Journal of Materials Engineering & Performance Committee Member, ASM International.
Dr. Singh Awarded Prestigious Lee Hsun Award from Chinese Academy of Sciences
WAC Member Dr. M. Singh, Chief Scientist, Ohio Aerospace Institute, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH has been selected to receive the Lee Hsun Award from the Chinese Academy of Sciences-Institute of Metals Research, Shenyang, China. The Lee Hsun Award honors "outstanding accomplishments by international scientists in the field of materials science and engineering”. The goal of the award is not only to reward distinguished performance by a scientist but also to promote cooperation and exchange of science and technology. The award to Dr. Singh is based on his long history of innovation and technology transfer and wide scale commercial impact of these technologies. The formal presentation of this award will be made when he visits the Institute of Metal Research-Chinese Academy of Sciences in summer and gives a lecture.
The award also acknowledges Dr. Singh’s distinguished career. A member of the Board of Governors of Acta Materialia, Inc., he is an Academician of the World Academy of Ceramics and a Fellow of American Ceramic Society, as well as ASM International and the Institute of Mining, Minerals and Materials (UK). He is the recipient of more than 40 national and international awards, including four R&D 100 awards, FLC Technology Transfer Award, NASA Public Service Medal, NASA Silver Snoopy Award, Ishikawa International Carbon Prize, Japan Fine Ceramics Association International Prize and Gottfried Wagner Memorial Award from Japan, International Award from the European Ceramic Society, Jacques-Lucas Award from ASM International, ACerS’ Richard M. Fulrath, Samuel Geijsbeek, and James I. Mueller Awards. He has authored or coauthored 30 books and journal volumes, six book chapters, published more than two hundred 245 papers in journals and proceedings. He currently serves on the advisory boards and committees of more than a dozen highly respected international journals and technical publications.
Susan Trolier-McKinstry named DOD Fellow
 WAC Member Susan Trolier-McKinstry, director of Penn State’s W.M. Keck Smart Materials Integration Laboratory and leader of the Center of Excellence in Piezoelectric Materials and Devices within the Center for Dielectric Studies at Penn State, has been selected by the Department of Defense as one of six scientists from U.S. universities to participate in the inaugural class of DOD’s new National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellows Program. DOD’s program provides each of the six fellows with grants of up to $3 million over a five-year period. The award is for long-term funding of open and unclassified research deemed of crucial importance to DOD.Trolier-McKinstry said her defense-related research will encompass low voltage, high energy density actuators for radio frequency switches used in radar systems and electronically steered antennae; self-powered sensors for persistent surveillance; ultrasonic ranging systems for autonomous robots; miniaturized high frequency ultrasound systems for casualty care, potentially under battlefield conditions; and miniaturized adaptive optics systems for targeting.
ASM International-IIM Visiting Lectureship Awarded to Dr. Ohji
Dr. Tatsuki Ohji, Premier Senior Research Scientist, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology (AIST), Japan has been selected as ASM International-Indian Institute of Materials (IIM) visiting lecturer for 2008. In its 29th year, ASM International-IIM visiting lectureship program committee selects most qualified ASM members with exceptional qualifications and experience to make technical presentations that are of interest to the Indian academic, industrial, and government organizations. The lecture topics are relevant to current technological conditions in India. An internationally recognized expert in the area of advanced engineering ceramics and composites, Dr. Ohji will visit India later this fall.
An ACerS Fellow, Dr. Ohji is Vice Chair and Treasurer of Engineering Ceramics Division. He has served as secretary and awards committee chair of Engineering Ceramics Division. He also serves as Associate Editor of Journal of American Ceramic Society and International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology. He has also organized a number of symposia/conferences for the American Ceramic Society and other professional societies. He is a member of World Academy of Ceramics and serves on the advisory board of many international journals from all over the world.
Hench Receives Hohio State Alumni Achievement Award
WAC Academician Larry L. Hench, an ACerS' Distinguished Life Member and pioneer in the field of ceramic engineering, has received the Alumni Professional Achievement Award from the Ohio State University Alumni Association Inc. Hench's discovery of Bioglass, a man-made material that bonds living tissue, has led to new medical and dental products for millions of people worldwide.
In the year 2004 he was the recipient of the WAC International Ceramics Prize recognizing his leading activity in biomaterials
Dr. Singh appointed to Board of Governors of Acta Materialia, Inc.
The President of ASM International has appointed Dr. Mrityunjay Singh on the Board of Governors of Acta Materialia, Inc. for a four year term starting January 2008. The board consists of four governors from ASM International, two from TMS, and two from more than thirty cooperating international materials societies from all over the world. The purpose of Acta Materialia, Inc. is to publish high-quality, peer refereed, journals in the area of materials science and engineering. In addition, it also supports and promotes scientific meetings, awards prizes (including Acta Gold Medal, John Hollomon Award), and undertakes other activities to further its fundamental purpose, which is to increase and diffuse the knowledge of science and engineering of materials. The Acta board also oversees the publication of three high impact factor (highly cited) and globally respected journals in the materials area namely Acta Materialia, Scripta Materialia, and Acta Biomaterialia. Dr. Singh also serves on the International Advisory Boards/Committees of seven additional international journals published from USA, Europe, and Japan.
An Academician of World Academy of Ceramics and Fellow of the ASM International, the American Ceramic Society, and Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (UK), he is recipient of more than thirty five national and international awards and published more than 245 papers and edited/co-edited more than thirty books/proceedings and journal volumes.
Korean Ceramic Society Honors Shigeyuki Somiya
Shigeyuki Somiya has been named an Honorary Member of the Korean Ceramic Society. Announced at the organization's recent 50th anniversary meeting in Seoul, Korea, the award featured the presentation of a membership certificate comprised of 99,9% gold.
Professor emeritus at The Tokyo Institute of Technology and a former dean of science and technology at Japan's Teikyo University, Somiya is widely known as the editor/author of some of the industry's most definitive texts on advanced ceramics. In addition to his Korean affiliation, he is an honorary member of the Ceramic Society of Japan and both a Fellow and Distinguished Life Member of ACerS.
Yoshio Bando invited as Plenary Speaker at Daytona Beach Conference
Academy Member Yoshio Bando, a Fellow of the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) and director general of International Center for Young Scientist (ICYS), deputy director of WPI Center of Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), NIMS, and professor at the University of Tsukuba, was invited to deliver a Plenary Lecture at the 3rd International Conference & Exposition on Advanced Ceramics & Composites, held in Daytona Beach, January 27 - February 1, 2008.
His current field of research is synthesis and property measurements of novel one-dimensional nanomaterials using TEM. His discovery of a "carbon nanothermometer" and development of large scale synthesis of BN nanotubes were internationally accepted.
Bando has received a number of awards including the 16th Tsukuba Prize in 2005 and became an Academician of the World Academy of Ceramics in 2004. In 2002, he was chosen as one of the "Top 30 Key Persons in Nanotechnology" in Japan by the scientific journal, Nikkei Science. He has published over 400 reviewed international journal articles and holds more than 30 patents.
ACerS 2008 ECD Bridge Building Award to Hampshire
WAC Member Stuart Hampshire, Limerick, Ireland, has been awarded with the 2008 ECD Bridge Building Award by the Awards Committee of the Engineering Ceramics Division of the American Ceramic Society.
The award consisted of the Bridge Building Award plaque, a certificate, a $1000 honorarium and complimentary registration for the 2008 Advanced Ceramics and Composites Conference. Hampshire also has been invited to deliver a keynote plenary presentation at the Conference in Daytona Beach, FL, USA.
Baik New President of Pohang University, Korea
Sunggi Baik, a WAC Member since 1994, has been installed as the fifth president of Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Korea. He has been a professor of Materials Science & Engineering at POSTECH since 1987.
POSTECH was established in 1986 as Korea's first research-oriented science and technology university. Educating only a small number of outstanding students and performing cutting-edge research, POSTECH has been consistently ranked as the top university in Korea.
ACerS recognizes several WAC Members
During the ACerS 109th Annual Meeting, held in Detroit, Michigan, September 16-20, 2007 several WAC members were officially recognized for their noticeable contribution to ceramics.
Kenneth H. Jack was elected to the ACerS Distinguished Life Membership, Fritz Aldinger, Stuart Hampshire and Ki Hyun Yoon were conferred the ACerS Fellowship and David Alan Payne, Kathryn Logan and George W. Beall were awarded with the Robert B. Sosman Award, the Arthur Frederick Greaves-Walker Award and the W. David Kingery award, respectively.
Kenneth H. Jack (Distinguished Life Member) is emeritus Professor at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and honorary professor of Materials Engineering at the University of Wales, Swansea, UK
Fritz Aldinger (Fellow), director of the Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung and professor of ceramics at the Universität Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
Stuart Hampshire (Fellow ), chair of materials science, University of Limerick, Ireland
Ki Hyun Yoon (Fellow), professor of ceramic engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
David Alan Payne (Robert B. Sosman Award) is a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA
Kathryn V. Logan (Arthur Frederick Greaves-Walker Award), Virginia Tech Langley Professor and also MSE Principal Research Engineer Emerita at Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
George H. Beall (W. David Kingery Award) research fellow (retired) in the Science & Technology Division of Corning Inc., Corning, NY, USA
OBITUARY
Academician Richard Ernest Tressler, 65, of Oak Hall, died Saturday, Sept. 8, 2007, surrounded by family at the Mount Nittany Medical Center. He died of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).
Born on June 14, 1942, in Bellefonte, he was a son of Ernestine and the late Earl Tressler, of Bellefonte. He is survived by his wife, Janis Jones, and three daughters and their families, Laura Sweeny and her husband Robert, of Indiana, Pennsylvania, and their children Owen and Francie; Kristin Reagle and her husband Daniel, of Media, and their daughter Megan; and Jennifer Hendrickson and her husband Michael, of State College, and their children Ada and Sally.
He is also survived by stepson David Mochak and wife Natalie, and their son Devin; two brothers, Hubert of Green Bay, Wis., and Kermit of Bellefonte. He was preceded in death by his late wife, Sue Alexander Tressler and his brother Earl of Muncy.
He was a 1959 graduate of Bellefonte Area High School. He earned his B.S. degree in Ceramic Technology from Penn State in 1963, his M.S. at MIT in 1964, and his Ph.D. in Ceramic Science at Penn State in 1967. He was a decorated veteran, serving as a Captain in the United States Air Force, then joined the Ceramics faculty at Penn State in 1972. He served as Head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering for 10 years, was President of the American Ceramic Society, and Founding Director of the Center for Advanced Materials at Penn State. He also served on the technical advisory boards of Kyocera, Air Products, and Alcoa, as well as the Board of Directors of AVX Corporation. In recognition of his accomplishments he was named Academician of the World Academy of Ceramics, Honorary Member of the Societe Francaise de Metallurgie et de Materiaux, the International Prize of the Japan Fine Ceramics Association, and was named Distinguished Life Member of the American Ceramic Society, and received the Hosler Alumni Scholar Award of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. He retired as Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering in 2001.
He made a significant contribution to the field of Materials Science by being an outstanding mentor to his students. In addition to enjoying time on his farm with his family and particularly his grandchildren, he was an avid hunter and fly fisherman. He loved to garden, chop wood, and drive his tractor. His hobbies included restoring old homes and antique automobiles. He was a lover of music and played the flute and bass. He was a lifelong supporter of Penn State and dedicated himself to philanthropic efforts on behalf of the University. He will be remembered for his quick wit and sense of humor. He was a member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church, a life member of the Penn State Alumni Association, and a member of the Obelisk Society of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State.
12th Election to WAC
The procedures for the 12th Election to the World Academy of Ceramics have been recently completed. The following sixteen new Academicians have been approved by the Council on July 11, 2007 on proposal of the International Advisory Board following the screening procedures of the Nomination Committee:
CLASS "SCIENCE"
 M.J. Edirisinghe UK  R. Freer UK  M.P. Harmer USA  Suk-Joong L. Kang South Korea
 K.J.D. MacKenzie New Zealand  Kiyoshi Okada Japan  V.C. Pandolfelli Brazil  J. Rödel Germany
 A.S. Rogachev Russia  D. Suvorov Slovenia  Isao Tanaka Japan  E. Traversa Italy
 S. Trolier-McKinstry USA  Keizo Uematsu Japan
CLASS "INDUSTRY & INNOVATION"
Hua-Tay Lin USA  E.R. Vance Australia
The new Academicians will be presented and awarded with the WAC Diploma during the Opening Ceremony of FORUM 2008 (Chianciano Terme, Italy, July 5-8, 2008) of the World Academy of Ceramics.
WAC "Prize 2008" Laureates
Alexander G. Merzhanov and Inna P. Borovinskaya, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia Federation and Hiroshi Ichikawa, Nippon Carbon Co. Ltd., Japan are the recipients of the "Prize 2008" of the World Academy of Ceramics.
The new prize Laureates have been approved during the WAC Council meeting of July 11, 2007 on proposal of the International Advisory Board, following the screening of a number of candidatures by the Prize Committee.
The joint prize to Merzhanov/Borovinskaya for "Basic Research" recognises their outstanding contribution on fundamentals of SHS science and subsequent studies for SHS successful use in novel materials.
The prize on "Industrial Research" to Ichikawa recognises his remarkable contribution to the development of an innovative high strength, high temperature silicon carbide fiber and the implementation of its industrial manufacturing.
WAC "Prize 2008" will be awarded during the Opening Ceremony of FORUM 2008 (Chianciano Terme, Italy, July 5-8, 2008) of the World Academy of Ceramics.
ECerS International Award to Singh
WAC Member M. Singh, chief scientist at the Ohio Aerospace Institute, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, received the ECerS International Award and delivered a keynote plenary presentation at the 10th International Conference of ECerS, Berlin, June 17-21, 2007. He was recognized for outstanding contribution to the science and technology of engineering ceramics and composites, and for enhancing understanding and collaboration within the international ceramics community.
Stuijts Award to Hampshire
Stuart Hampshire, a professor in the Dept. of Materials Science & Technology, University of Limerick, Ireland, was honored with the Stuijts Award, which recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions to ceramics science or technology. The Award was assigned by the European Ceramic Society (ECerS) during its recent Conference held in Berlin, June 17-21, 2007. The author or co-author of more than 230 publications in journals, edition of 19 books and three journal volumes, and holder of several patents, Stuart Hampshire was elected to the World Academy of Ceramics in the year 1990.
Obituary
Dr. Richard M. Spriggs (Dick) of Alfred, NY, passed away Saturday, July 21, 2007, after battling with lung cancer.
Dr. Richard M. Spriggs was Professor Emeritus of Ceramic Engineering at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Prior to retiring in 1997, he was the first John F. McMahon Professor of Ceramic Engineering, the Executive Director of the NYS Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology, and Director of Sponsored Research Programs at the College. He held BS, MS and PhD degrees in Ceramics and Ceramic Engineering from Penn State and The University of Illinois. Prior to joining the Alfred faculty in 1987, he served as Senior Staff Officer and Staff Director of the National Research Council at the National Academy of Sciences and as Professor and later as Vice President for Administration at Lehigh University. He had earlier industrial experience with AVCO and Ferro Corporations. He also served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy after his graduation from Penn State.
A Fellow, Past President, and Distinguished Life Member of the American Ceramic Society, he received numerous honors and awards for his contributions to ceramic science, technology and education. He most recently served as a board member of the Ceramics Corridor Innovation Centers (Alfred Technology Resources, Inc.) and Sugar Hill Development Corporation. Dr. Spriggs was widely known over many years as an outstanding ambassador for the American Ceramic Society. He was well-known for his kind and friendly demeanor.
Dr. Spriggs was among the Charting Members who actively cooperated in the establishment of the World Academy of Ceramics and member of the former Board of Trustees of the Academy.
He was preceded into death by his wife, Patricia (Blaney) Spriggs and is survived by his present wife, Brenda (Ferrier) Spriggs, 3 children: Carolyn (Spriggs) Muchna (Mark) of Prescott, AZ, Rick Spriggs (Jacki) of Naperville, IL, and Alan Spriggs of Golden, CO; and 3 step-children: Kristine (Milkeris) Smith (Robbie) of Genesee, PA, Lori Milkeris of Milton, FL, and Joshua Milkeris (Amber) of Fort Walton Beach, FL.
In addition he is survived by his 7 grandchildren: Jessica (Muchna) Madson (James), Amy, Matthew and Mollie Muchna, Mackenzie, Kelsey and Conor Spriggs, and 5 step-grandchildren: Amber, Tyler, Miri and Bryce Milkeris and Nolen Smith.
Munir Honored by UC Davis
WAC member Zuhair A. Munir, Distinguished Professor of Materials Science at the University of California, Davis, was presented the UC Davis Prize for 2007 at a gala dinner May 10.
The prize recognizes scholars at the forefront of knowledge who are making their expertise available to undergraduate students. Munir was selected in recognition of his demonstrated extraordinary dedication and achievement, both in research creativity and in undergraduate teaching and mentoring.
Munir is recognized by the Institute of Scientific Information as one of the Highly Cited Authors in the field of materials science.
Komarneni Named Distinguished Professor
WAC member Sridhar Komarneni has been named a Distinguished Professor at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, in recognition of his exceptional record of teaching, research and service. He is professor of clay mineralogy in the Materials Research Institute and the Dept.of Crop & Soil Sciences.
Komarneni's research focuses on low-temperature nanophase and nanocomposite materials, sol-gel chemistry of high-performance ceramics, hydrothermal and microwave-hydrothermal processing, and new materials preparation and characterization. He has served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Porous Materials since 1994, and is recognized by the Institute for Scientific Information as one of the highly cited researchers in the materials field.
80th Birthday of Günter Petzow Honored
A special issue (November
2006, Vol. 114) has been dedicated by the Journal of the Ceramics
Society of Japan to celebrate the 80th birthday of Academician
Günter Petzow. This to recognise the pioneering and influential
role of his studies on basic science, constitution, powder metallurgy,
and metals and ceramics carried out during his long-lasting
career which deserved the admiration and respect of the research
community worldwide.
Twenty-one New WAC Members Elected
The following twenty-one new Professional Members of the World
Academy of Ceramics have been recently elected to the Academy
(11th Election, 2006):
CLASS "SCIENCE"
 J.H. Adair USA  D.K. Agrawal USA  M.W. Barsoum USA  T. Chartier France
 W.J. Clegg UK  P. Colombo Italy  R.A.L. Drew Canada  Kunihito Koumoto Japan
 V.V. Mitic Serbia and Montenegro  Yoshinari Miyamoto Japan Tatsuki Ohji Japan  T.A. Prikhna Ukraine
 Rishi Raj USA  C.A. Randall USA  G.A. Schneider Germany  N. Setter Switzerland
 H.L. Tuller USA  O. Van Der Biest Belgium  Weiguang Zhu Singapore
CLASS "INDUSTRY & INNOVATION"
 B.L. Krasny Russia  T.R. Shrout USA
Larry L. Hench and Shin-ichi Hirano are among
the recipients of the Distinguished Life Membership Award at the
Ms&T'06 by the American Ceramic Society
Academician Larry L. Hench
(GOMD), professor emeritus, Imperial College, London, and
the University of Florida, had an exceptionally creative
and productive career. At Imperial College, he was part
of the Dept. of Materials and Center for Tissue Regeneration
and Repair.
From his role as the starter of the University of Florida's
ceramics effort in the 1960s, his invention and subsequent
commercialization of Bioglass®, the authoring of Boing-Boing
the Bionic Cat series of children's books, and his leadership
in the Center for Tissue Generation and Repair, Hench's
impact on the field of ceramics is well documented.
He has received almost all the awards in ceramics and materials
science that are possible, including membership in the National
Academy of Engineering, and the WAC International Ceramics
Prize 2004.
WAC member Shin-ichi Hirano (Basic Research),
President of Nagoya University, Japan, has a long record
of outstanding scholarly accomplishments and scientific
contributions in the field of ceramics.
Known worldwide for his innovative contributions in chemical
ceramic processing at the molecular level, Hirano developed
nano-sized crystalline ceramic particles/organic hybrids,
which are tailored materials with real nano-sized functions.
Hirano is the recipient of numerous national and international
awards such as Academician of the World Academy of Ceramics,
Fellow of ACerS, Fulrath Award, Tokai Chemical Industry
Award, Japan Fine Ceramic Association-International Award,
plus many others. He served as president of the Ceramic
Society of Japan in 2003-2004.
Readey Retires
Academician Dennis Readey has retired as H.F. Coors Distinguished
Professor of Ceramic Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines,
Golden, USA. For the last 17 years he led ceramic research in
the state of Colorado as director of the Colorado Center for Advanced
Ceramics.
A Distinguished Life Member and Fellow of ACerS, Readey has been
active in the Society, ultimately serving as president during
1991-92.
Tressler Awarded by Penn State
WAC Member Richard E. Tressler, was awarded the 2006 Charles
L. Hosler Alumni Scholar Medal in recognition of his remarkable
career of academic and research achievement. Tressler is professor
emeritus of materials science and engineering, at The Pennsylvania
State University, University Park, USA.
The award recognizes alumni of the College of Earth & Mineral
Sciences at Penn State who have made outstanding contributions
to the development of science through research, teaching or administrative
leadership.
Tressler is an ACerS Distinguished Life Member and Fellow of the
Society and a member of the Basic Science Division.
Pye Named ACerS President-Elect
American Ceramic Society officers for 2006-2007 have been elected
and will began their terms of office during the Society's 108
Annual Meeting in Cincinnati.
WAC Member L. David Pye, NYS College of Ceramics at Alfred University
has been named as President-Elect.
The ACerS Ceramic Educational Council Recently Conferred Thomas
O. Mason of the Outstanding Educator Award
Academician Thomas O. Mason, PhD (Electronics), professor of
Materials Science & Engineering at Northwestern University,
Evanston, Illinois, USA, is a highly cited researcher by the Institute
for Scientific Information, having authored or coauthored about
250 technical papers in the areas of electroceramics, defect chemistry
and electrical characterization methods, including cement-based
materials and composites. An ACerS Fellow, Mason served as vice
president of ACerS (1995-96). He is a member/academician of the
World Academy of Ceramics, ACerS/NICE and of the Ceramic Educational
Council (past-president). Mason is recipient of the Schwartzwalder-PACE
Award (1990) and the Richard M. Fulrath Award (1994).
World Academy of Ceramics.
Appointed the Advisory Board 2006-2010
Election procedures to WAC Advisory Board for the term 2006 to 2010 have been recently completed. On the basis of the results from ballots among the Academy Members, the following nine new Advisory Board members were approved during the WAC Council held on November 29, 2005.
- S. Baik - Korea
- P.R.H.M. Bittencourt - Brazil
- S-H. Cho - Korea
- N. Claussen - Germany
- L. J. Gauckler - Switzerland
- A. Makishima - Japan
- J.W. Mccauley - Usa
- R.M. Spriggs - Usa
- Y. Tretyakov - Russia
During the same meeting the Board Members of direct designation by the Council on the basis of Article 10 of the Academy Statutes were decided as follows
- J.F. Baumard - France
- A.G. Merzhanov - Russia
- G.L. Messing - Usa
- R. Pampuch - Poland
- M. Yoshimura - Japan
The new Board will be officially installed and become operative during its first meeting to be convened in Acireale, Sicily, Italy within the frames of CIMTEC 2006 to be held on June 4-9, 2006.
International Conferences Celebrates A.G. Merzhanov
An International Conference on "Nonisothermal Phenomena and Processes" has been organized by the Armenian Academy of Sciences to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Prof. A.G. Merzhanov, Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and President of the WAC Advisory Board.
The Conference, to take place in Yerevan, Armenia on November 27 to December 2, 2006, aims to provide a forum for discussing latest advances in nonisothermal phenomena taking place in reactive systems with or without external heating and to strengthen cooperation in this research field.
Newnham Named Penn State Alumni Fellow
On October 19, 2005, the Penn State Alumni Association, University Park, PA, USA, made Robert E. Newnham an Alumni Fellow and presented him a commemorative award recognizing his outstanding professional accomplishments. Alumni are nominated by an academic college or campus as leaders in their professional fields.
A 1956 graduate, Newnham was one of 23 alumni to be honored. He is Alcoa Professor Emeritus of Solid State Science at The Pennsylvania State University.
Newnham is a Distinguished Life Member and Fellow of ACerS, and a past editor of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society. He is a Member of the World Academy of Ceramics as from 1990.
Gary Messing presented McMahon Lecture at Alfred University
WAC Member Gary L. Messing, a 1973 graduate of the School of Engineering at Alfred University with a BS in ceramic engineering, delivered the annual John F. McMahon Memorial Lecture 2005, on the Alfred campus. His topic was "Manipulating Microstructures - A Path to Better Ceramics".
Messing is a Distinguished Professor of Ceramic Science & Engineering and head of the Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University, State College, where his research interests include nucleation and crystallization of chemical precursors, inorganic powder synthesis, sintering and grain growth, textured ceramics and nanocrystalline materials. In 2003, he was recognized as one of the most highly cited researchers in materials.
He is a Fellow and past president of the ACerS.
George W. Morey Award to Pantano
WAC Member Carlo G. Pantano was named the George W. Morey Award winner during the Glass & Optical Materials Division (GOMD) Fall Meeting, September 11-16, 2005, at Maui, Hawaii. He delivered the Morey Lecture entitled "Glass Surfaces: Computer Modeling and Experimental Validation".
Pantano is distinguished professor of materials science and engineering, and director of the Materials Research Institute, at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park. He is also director of the Glass Surfaces, Interfaces & Coatings Site for the Center for Glass Research.
Derek P. Thompson new President and Jürgen G. Heinrich President-elect at ECerS
 Derek P. Thompson  Jürgen G. Heinrich Academy Member Derek P. Thompson was installed as President of the European Ceramic Society (ECerS) at the 9th ECerS Conference, held June 19-23, 2005, at Porto Roz, Slovenia. Thompson is a professor in the Materials Div., Dept. of Mechanical, Materials & Manufacturing Engineering, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
The ECerS Council unanimously voted Jürgen G. Heinrich (current President of the German Ceramic Society) to become President-elect. Heinrich, also a WAC Member, is a professor at Clausthal University of Technology, Germany.
IEEE Honors Newnham
WAC Member Robert E. Newnham, Alcoa Professor Emeritus at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, was awarded the 2005 Achievement Award of the Ultrasonics Division of IEEE. Newnham pioneered the development of composite piezoelectric transducers for use in medical imaging, underwater sonar systems and ultrasonic nondestructive testing.
A Symposium to Celebrate Hench Retirement
The achievement and career of Larry L. Hench will be celebrated with a symposium in his honor Sept. 28-30, 2005, at Imperial College London. The aim of the symposium is to provide a platform for leadership in the field of biomaterials over the next decade.
Larry was appointed to the World Academy of Ceramics during the 1st Election to the Academy in 1989.
Distinguished ACerS Life Membership to Johnson
WAC Academician David W. Johnson has been made Distinguished Life Member at the 2005 Annual Meeting at Baltimore. This is the highest honour conferred by ACerS which recognized to Johnson the over four decades of service and leadership to the local, national and global ceramics community, as well as profound basic science in the field of optical and superconducting ceramics impacting the worldwide ceramic industry and science.
Johnson was with Bell Labs and Agere Systems (Allentown, PA, USA) from 1968 until he retired in 2002.
Payne Wins Award on Ferroelectricity
Academician David A. Payne, Professor at The University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, received the Ferroelectrics Recognition Award
from the IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics & Frequency Control
Society at the society's 2004 conference. The award was for "outstanding
achievements in scientific work as well as in promoting the ferroelectrics
community"..
ITER Workshop promoted by C.C. Ge
An International Workshop on ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental
Reactor) was recently held on proposal of Academician Prof. C.C.
Ge in the frames of PRICM-5 (The Fifth Pacific Rim International
Conference on Advanced Materials and Standards, November 2-5, 2004,
Beijing, China). This is a significant issue as China was involved
in the negotiation meetings of ITER.
It was the first time that a PRICM conference hosted a session dedicated
to Advanced Nuclear Materials which was chaired, in addition to
Prof. Ge, by F.R. Wan (China), H. Takahashi (Japan), J.H. Hong (Korea),
and G.S. Was (USA). About 1100 technical papers from 25 countries
worldwide were presented at PRICM-5. Of these about one thousand
have been included in the official proceedings of the conference.
Mueller Award to Singh
Academician Mrityunjay Singh received the James I. Mueller Memorial Award, on January 24, 2005, during the 29th International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites, which was held at Cocoa Beach, Fla., USA. His lecture was entitled "In-Space Repair of Reinforced Carbon-Carbon Thermal Protection System Structures".
Singh is chief scientist for QSS Group Inc. at NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland. He earned his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Banaras Hindu University, India, in 1983.
An ACerS Fellow, he is past chair and current counselor of the Engineering Ceramics Division. He serves on the Society's International Globalization Task Force, and was instrumental in starting up the International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology.
Twenty-six New WAC Members Elected
10th Election (2004)
The following twenty-six new Professional Members of the World Academy of Ceramics have been recently elected to the Academy.
CLASS "SCIENCE"
 Yoshio Bando Japan  P.F. Becher USA  I-Wei Chen USA  B. Derby UK
 Lian Gao China  Chang-Chun Ge China  Y. Gogotsi USA  D.J. Green USA
 M. Hoffmann Germany  Junichi Hojo Japan  Hideo Hosono Japan  Kazunori Kijima Japan
 Doh-Yeon Kim Korea  S. Komarneni USA  M. Kosec Slovenia  W.M. Kriven USA
 D.B. Marshall USA  J.W. McCauley USA  Koichi Niihara Japan  C.G. Pantano USA
 R.P. Riedel Germany  E.D. Zanotto Brazil
CLASS "INDUSTRY & INNOVATION"
 J.L. Amoros Albaro Spain  M.Yu Rusin Russia  G.C. Wei USA  Akira Yamaguchi Japan
ECD Bridge Building Award Granted to Niihara
Academician
Koichi Niihara, Osaka University, Japan, received the 2005 Bridge
Building Award from the ACerS Engineering Ceramics Division.
The award consists of a plaque, certificate and $1000 honorarium.
The presentation took place during the 29th International Conference
on Advanced Ceramics & Composites, which was held January
23-28, 2005, at Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA.
JFCA Prize Awarded to Singh
Academician Mrityunjay Singh, chief scientist, QSS Group Inc., NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, received the Japan Fine Ceramics Association (JFCA) International Prize in Tokyo, May 19, 2004.
Based on his long history of innovation and technology transfer in the areas of ceramic matrix composites, monolithic ceramics, joining and ecoceramics, the award recognizes the wide-scale commercial importance of these technologies.
Munir Named Outstanding Educator
The ACerS Ceramic Educational Council honored Zuhair A. Munir with its 2004 Outstanding Educator Award.
Munir, distinguished professor at the University of California, Davis, USA, received the award during the ACerS Annual Meeting in Indianapolis.
2004 Somiya Award to C.N.R. Rao and Anthony K. Cheetham
 C.N.R. Rao  Anthony K. Cheetham The International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS) has presented the 2004 Somiya Award to WAC Members C.N.R. Rao, FRS, of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India, and Anthony K. Cheetham, FRS, of the University of California, Santa Barbara, (UCSB), for their collaboration on the synthesis and characterization of novel materials.
Rao and Cheetham accepted the award in San Francisco during the 2004 Materials Research Society Spring Meeting / IUMRS 9th International Conference on Electronic Materials.
Franklin Award to Newnham
The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, presented the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering to WAC Member Robert E. Newnham, professor emeritus of solid state science at The Pennsylvania State University, April 29, 2004. He was cited "for his invention of multiphase piezoelectric transducers and their spatial architecture, which revolutionized the field of acoustic imaging."
The award ceremony followed a special symposium on Piezoelectric Composites and Their Applications, held at Drexel University.
The author of >500 research papers and 20 patents, Newnham is a member of the National Academy of Engineers and Distinguished Life Member and Fellow of AcerS, and he is affiliated with the Basic Science and Electronics Divisions.
Hirano Named President of Nagoya University
Shin-ichi Hirano, WAC Member, was named President of Nagoya University, Japan, effective April 1, 2004. Hirano, who has served as adjunct professor of materials science and engineering at The Pennsylvania State University, retired as dean of the Graduate School of Engineering and School of Engineering as well as professor in the Dept. of Applied Chemistry at Nagoya. He also served as director of the Research Center for High Energy Conversion and as director of the Center for Advanced Research & Technology at Nagoya University.
Hirano is an ACerS Fellow affiliated with the Basic Science and Electronics Divisions. He is President of the Ceramic Society of Japan, immediate past president of the International Ceramic Federation (1997-99) and President of the Asia-Oceania Ceramic Federation.
Inamori Increases Scholarship Fund
WAC Member Kazuo Inamori, founder and chair emeritus of Kyocera corp., Kyoto, Japan, announced that he is adding $300,000 to the scholarship fund created in his name at Alfred University, Alfred, NY, USA
WAC Council Member Filippo Marazzi Awarded with Aldo Villa Prize 2003
Filippo Marazzi, chairman of the Ceramiche Marazzi Group, has received the Aldo Villa award 2003 "for his outstanding contribution to the promotion of ceramic products world-wide and for an entrepreneurial vision that has allowed him to frequently anticipate technical and technological innovations and to achieve innovation in terms of productive globalisation".
The award, set up in 1998 by the Italian Ceramic Society in memory of its first president Aldo Villa, is presented every two years to prominent figure in the ceramic sector - whether an entrepreneur, director or researcher - who has made a significant contribution to the development of the ceramic industry.
Filippo Marazzi was yet awarded in 1998 with the most important Prize of the World Academy of Ceramics during the "Forum 1998" of WAC held in Krakow, Poland.
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