ERWIN, N.Y. – Continuing with its journey in helping to build a strong future for glass research, Corning’s Gordon S. Fulcher distinguished scholars Professor Phil Salmon and Research Fellow Anita Zeidler recently began their six-month sabbatical at the company’s Sullivan Park Research Center.

Phil and Anita both work in the Physics Department at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom and, as the second Fulcher sabbatical winners, will be working within the Glass Research Group during their time at Corning.

The sabbatical program was named after Dr. Gordon Scott Fulcher, a Corning glass and ceramic scientist from 1920 until 1934. Dr. Fulcher was best known for the creation of the transformative three-parameter model of viscosity known as the "Fulcher equation.”

“We are delighted to welcome Phil and Anita to Corning,” said Dr. John Mauro, senior research manager of Glass Research at Corning.

“They bring extensive experience in understanding structure-property relationships for a wide variety of glass compositions of interest to Corning and are particularly adept at connecting fundamental science to practical problems of technological interest.”

During their sabbatical, Phil and Anita will be focused on understanding the impact of pressure on glass structure and the mechanical behavior of glass among other glass research topics. “I look forward to working on cutting-edge projects that require a multidisciplinary approach at the interface between basic science and technology,” Phil said.

Anita is also excited about the opportunity to meet and collaborate with new colleagues throughout the sabbatical. “It’s great to work in an environment where everybody you meet is an expert on glass, and can help with difficult questions about the preparation, characterization and properties of these fascinating materials,” Anita said.

The inaugural Fulcher sabbatical scholars Professors Liping Huang and Yunfeng Shi of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute spoke at Corning's 2016 Glass Summit about their experience at Corning as the first participants in the program.

“Corning is a place where anything can happen with glass research,” said Professor Huang. “If we continue to work together – both industry and academia – we’ll help to advance the future of glass science.”

“While Corning has many working relationships with universities around the globe, this program offers the sabbatical winners and Corning a unique opportunity,“ said Ellen Kosik Williams, university collaborations manager & research associate. “Since the scholars are here for an extended period of time, they’re able to really learn about innovation at Corning and can offer a different and valuable perspective to our researchers as well.”

Concerned about the scarcity of industrially relevant glass research in academia, Corning is working to strengthen the future of the U.S. glass industry.

The company took a major step toward that goal this month as two professors from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute began six-month sabbaticals at Sullivan Park's Research and Development facility in Erwin, N.Y. This is the first time Corning has designed a sabbatical program and invited applicants from the academic community. It is also one of the first U.S. programs specifically focused on glass research.

The objective is to enable close engagement between university professors and Corning scientists on research topics of mutual interest—especially those related to the fundamental science of glasses that are most likely to be used in commercial or industrial settings.

This is the first time Corning has designed a sabbatical program and invited applicants from the academic community.

The inaugural distinguished researchers, Professors Liping Huang and Yunfeng Shi of RPI, appreciate this new vantage point.

"Seeing the vibrant research activities at Corning and the ability to work hand in hand with Corning scientists on fundamental glass problems has been quite eye-opening," Professor Shi said.

The company hopes that fostering this direct link with academia will influence the research at universities, encouraging more focus in key areas related to Corning and other major U.S. glass manufacturers.  

"We began this journey two years ago when we were having a difficult time finding the right candidates for open positions within Glass Research," said John Mauro, senior research manager of Glass Research at Corning.

Corning’s Science & Technology organization addressed this issue first with a paper, "Glass Science in the United States: Current Status and Future Directions," and then a Glass Summit in Corning, N.Y. Both helped stimulate conversation within the glass research community on how to safeguard its future.

"The summit was a huge success – with more than 120 participants from Corning, academia, and various funding agencies from around the globe," Dan Vaughn, manager of External Technology Collaborations and Intellectual Assets, said. "It generated many great ideas."

One of those ideas was the newly established sabbatical program, named after Dr. Gordon Scott Fulcher, a Corning glass and ceramic scientist from 1920 until 1934. Dr. Fulcher was best known for the creation of the transformative three-parameter model of viscosity known as the "Fulcher equation."

Corning now hopes that a second summit will generate similar productive ideas. An event slated for June 2016 will include an expanded scope of topics and more invited speakers.

John said that as these efforts continue to grow, Corning is off to a solid start in nurturing future generations of glass researchers. 

"It may take years or a decade for us to fully see the results of the work we're putting in now," he added, "but we're hopeful that the results will enable a brighter future for the glass industry at large."

“他们在理解康宁感兴趣的多种玻璃成分的结构-性质关系方面具有丰富的经验，尤其擅长将基础科学与技术方面的实际问题联系起来。”

在学术休假期间，Phil和Anita将重点了解压力对玻璃结构和机械特性的影响等玻璃研究课题。 “我期待着开展一些尖端项目，这些项目需要在基础科学和技术之间采用跨学科的方法，”Phil说。

Anita也期待着在此期间有机会遇到新的同事并开展合作。 “在这样的环境中工作真的很棒，你遇到的每一个人都是玻璃方面的专家，他们能够帮助你解决与材料性能、制备和鉴定有关的难题，”Anita说。

首届Fulcher学者、伦斯勒理工学院的Liping Huang和Yunfeng Shi教授作为该计划的第一批参与者在康宁最近举办的玻璃峰会上分享了他们的经验。

“就玻璃研究而言，康宁是一个一切皆有可能的地方，”Huang教授说。 “如果我们继续在本行业和学术界携手合作，就能帮助推动玻璃科学的未来。”

“虽然康宁在世界各地与大学有很多合作关系，但这个项目为休假学者和康宁提供了一个独特的机会，”大学合作经理兼助理研究员Ellen Kosik Williams说。 “学者们将在这里度过相当一段时间，他们将了解到康宁的创新，也为我们的研究人员提供极具价值的不同视角。”

康宁将于2016年10月开始接受2017年Fulcher学者计划的申请。更多关于该计划的信息，请向John Mauro了解。