Alfred University students compete at ACerS conference; LaCourse honored
Three students won awards in competitions held at the Glass and Optical Materials Conference hosted by American Ceramic Society (ACerS) May 22-27 in Baltimore. During the conference, William LaCourse, retired professor of glass science at Alfred University, was presented with the L. David Pye Lifetime Achievement Award.
ALFRED, NY – Three students won awards in competitions held at the Glass and Optical Materials Conference hosted by American Ceramic Society (ACerS) May 22-27 in Baltimore. During the conference, William LaCourse, retired professor of glass science at Alfred University, was presented with the L. David Pye Lifetime Achievement Award.
Charles Bellows, PhD candidate, glass science engineering, Ballston Spa, NY, and Elizabeth Tsekrekas, PhD candidate, glass science engineering, Derry, NH, participated in the glass demonstration video contest.
Bellows said his video demonstrated “interesting effects or properties in glass” which focused on the chemical and thermal strengthening of glass.
“We filmed a process of ion exchange in creating Prince Rupert’s Drops,” Bellows explained. Prince Rupert's Drops are produced by dropping molten glass drops into cold water. The water rapidly cools and solidifies the glass from the outside inward, which causes it to solidify into a tadpole-shaped droplet with a long, thin tail.
Tsekrekas’ video focused on processes for coloring glass red and demonstrated how the color of glass changes during the process of pouring.
“When the glass is heated, it changes color, from clear to red,” Tsekrekas explained. Her video demonstrated “striking glass”: the process by which glass is heated without melting, which creates color.
Bellows was awarded first place in the glass demonstration video contest, while Tsekrekas placed third.
Lucas Greiner, a resident of Alfred who is pursuing a master’s degree in glass science, took second place in the graduate student poster contest. His poster focused on “untypical blue color in glasses with varying optical basicity.” The poster demonstrated how different types of transition metals in glasses create different blue coloring.
LaCourse received the L. David Pye Lifetime Achievement Award. Named in recognition of Alfred University alumnus L. David Pye '59, '68 PhD, emeritus professor of glass science at Alfred University, the award is presented by the Glass and Optical Materials Division annually to a deserving individual in recognition of lifetime dedication, vision, and accomplishments in advancing the fields of glass science, glass engineering, and glass art.