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Penn State Student Chapter Sponsors Lecture by Professor Kingery In September 1987, the MRS Penn State Student Chapter sponsored a lecture on the applications of ceramic science in archaeology and art history. The speaker was Prof. W.D. Kingery of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Author of over 200 papers and several books, including Introduction to Ceramics (with H.K. Bowen and D.R. Uhlmann), Kingery has made contributions in the fields of ceramic science, ceramic technology, and ceramic education, as well as in metallurgy, materials science, glaciology, and most recently in archaeology and art history.* His lecture, "A Role for Ceramic Material Science in Art History and Archaeology," discussed how an understanding of the microstructure and macrostructure of a ceramic object can lead to a better understanding of the processes used in its manufacture as well as the resulting visual effects. With the recent development of powerful analytical techniques, we can obtain detailed information on the chemical composition and the phases present in a ceramic object. This information allows us to infer the probable starting materials and processes used in its fabrication. Other techniques which reveal the microstructure help explain the resulting visual effects such as transparency, gloss, and iridescence. Ultimately, an understanding of the technology used to produce ceramic objects can give new insights into the culture and history of the people who fashioned them. In other activities, the Penn State Student Chapter heard Dr. Richard L. Hanson, University patent attorney, speak on technical patent rights and patent procedures at the May meeting. In June, the Chapter toured the University's Computation Center and heard presentations by the staff on graphics, document processing, and supercomputing. The meeting in early September included a tour of the Chemistry Department's molecular beam epitaxy and angle-resolved SIMS facilities. This was followed by a tour of the Biology Department's electron microscopy facility at the October meeting. The applications of SEM and TEM in biology and biomaterials were discussed as was sample preparation. November's meeting included a talk by Prof. Rustum Roy, professor emeritus of solid state science and past director of the Penn State Materials Research Laboratory. In his talk on "Materials by Design," Roy described how the discovery of new materials and processes is often a mixture of careful planning and serendipity. Examples were given in the MRS BULLETIN/MARCH 1988
Prof, W.D. Kingery (center), guest lecturer at the September meeting of the Penn State Student Chapter, and Student Chapter members (left to right): Paul Slim, Mary Bliss, Michael Silsbee, and Eric Plesko.
areas of low thermal-expansion ceramics, the preparation of ultrafine powders, high T c superconductors, and nanocomposites. The November meeting also saw the election of the 1988 Student Chapter officers: Theresa A. Guiton, president; Cheryl M. Vaughan, vice-president; Julia A. Kraus, treasurer; and Richard A. S
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