MSE Professor Receives ACeRS L. David Pye Glass Hall of Fame Award
Department of Materials Science and Engineering Distinguished Professor Lisa Klein has received a prestigious L. David Pye Glass Hall of Fame Award from the Glass and Optical Materials Division (GOMD) of the American Ceramic Society (ACerS).
With this signature award, she burnishes Rutgers Engineering's reputation by following the late MSE professor Emeritus Charles R. Kurkjian, who received an inaugural award in 2019.
The award—which is named for visionary leader in glass science, engineering, and art Dr. L. David Pye—honors the lifetime dedication, vision, and accomplishments of deserving individuals who advance the fields of glass science, glass engineering, and glass art.
Klein, Rutgers' first female engineering faculty member, is an acknowledged leader in the synthesis and processing of ceramics and glasses using the sol-gel process for breakthrough applications in everything from electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells, smart windows, and hermetic seals, to nanocomposites.
An honorary ACerS life member since 2024, she takes pride in this new recognition. "As the award describes it, the recognition is for a career of pursuing some aspect of glass, whether that is glass technology, glass science, or glass art," Klein remarks.
"Glass is all around us, and we often take it for granted, but it is a remarkable material. From my early fascination with the microscopic beads of glass covering the moon to my current interest in glass for corrosion protection, there is always something new to discover in a material that has been around for millennia."
While Klein was unable to attend the ACerS April spring meeting, she will instead be presented with her award in Pittsburgh on October 5 at the GOMD business meeting held at the MS&T—materials science and technology—joint meeting of the ACerS and five other materials-focused organizations.
