ACESS-Akron Council of Engineering and Scientific Societies

Polymer Cluster - Polymer Palooza
2025-06-08 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Akron Children’s Museum, 216 S. Main St, Akron, OH, 44308, United States
What is a Polymer?
Incredible substances that make up everything around us – from the rubber in your sneakers to the plastic in your water bottle.
Delve into the wonders of polymers and polymer careers!

Interactive exhibits
Hands-on experiments
Engaging demonstrations

ORG - Early Summer Golf Outing - 2025
2025-06-18 08:00 - 17:00 | Brookledge Golf Club, 1621 Bailey Road, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, 44221, United States
Registration: 7:00 – 7:45 am
Shotgun Start: 8:00 am
4 Golfer Scramble
Dinner: 2:00 pm – Brookledge Pavilion
Cost: $150.00
* Includes golf with cart, lunch, dinner, beverages, door prize, raffle ticket, skill awards and prizes.
Mulligan cards are available for an additional $5 each.
Registration Form deadline: June 6, 2025
******Even if you don’t golf, join us for dinner!
DINNER ONLY: $40 (Catered by “Terrible Tom’s Barbeque”)
Pay in advance at the links below for this golf outing! (preferred)
Registration Forms and Corporate Hole Sponsor Forms are available at https://www.ohiorubbergroup.org/event/early-summer-golf-outing-2025/

Late Summer Golf Outing – 2025
2025-08-25 07:30 - 20:30 | Silver Lake Country Club, 1325 Graham Rd, Stow, OH, 44224, United States
August 25 @ 7:00 am – 8:30 pm
$5 – $200

Silver Lake Golf Club
Registration: 7:00 – 7:45 am
Shotgun Start: 8:00 am & 1:30 pm – CHOOSE MORNING OR AFTERNOON
4 Golfer Scramble
Dinner: 7:00 pm
Cost: $165.00
Optional additional round: $75
* Includes golf with cart, lunch, dinner, beverages, door prize, raffle ticket, skill awards and prizes.
Mulligan cards are available for an additional $5 each.
Registration Form deadline: AUGUST 18, 2025
******Even if you don’t golf, join us for dinner!
DINNER ONLY: $45
HOLE SPONSOR: $200/hole
Pay in advance at the links below for this golf outing! (preferred)
Registration Forms and Corporate Hole Sponsor Forms are available at

Rubber Division - 2025 Global Polymer Summit
2025-09-08 - 2025-09-11 | Huntington Convention Center, 300 Lakeside Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44114, United States
Presented by IEC & ITEC
Register at event website.
The 2025 Global Polymer Summit (GPS) is a dynamic, all-encompassing approach to the tire, rubber and polymer industries, offering a comprehensive blend of technical sessions, engaging discussions, premier expo and valuable connections. This summit is the most valuable destination for attendees to expand their network, learn from experts and explore business opportunities.
The merging of the International Elastomer Conference (IEC) and the International Tire Exposition & Conference (ITEC) brings together top companies and programming into one exceptional event that you won’t want to miss!

Tire Society - 44th Annual Conference
2025-09-23 - 2025-09-25 | The University of Akron Student Union, 303 Carroll St, Akron, 44304, United States
2025 Conference Theme: Rolling Towards Sustainability: Tires for A Greener Future
The University of Akron, Jean Hower Taber Student Union Ball Room, Akron Ohio, USA
Register on the event website.
The Tire Society – the scientific professional organization for the tire industry – welcomes authors and interested individuals to its 44th Annual Tire Science and Technology Meeting and Conference.
This annual conference is a forum for engineers, scientists, users, policymakers, students, and advocates to learn about innovations that will drive our industry in the years ahead. By effectively communicating our knowledge and research, we can influence practices and policies and inspire innovation at all levels.
The Conference includes:

Technical paper presentations
A keynote address by an industry leader
A plenary lecture by a recognized technical speaker
Sponsor exhibits
An awards banquet with a technical speaker
Networking and continuing education

ORG - Fall Technical Meeting 2025
2025-09-23 16:00 - 21:00 | Hilton Garden Inn Twinsburg, 8971 Wilcox Dr., Twinsburg, OH, 44078, United States
Agenda:
4:00 – Dinner Ticket / Membership Sales
4:30 – Technical Presentations
6:00 – Social Hour
7:00 – Dinner
Buy tickets at the links below (preferred). Advanced Reservations: $35 each; at the door $40. (limited number available). Alternatively, email reservations to Denise Kotz at denisekotz@strategicrealm.consulting OR mail to Ohio Rubber Group, PO Box 553, Hudson, OH 44236.
Technical Presentations
“Troubleshooting Rubber to Substrate Bond Failures”; Justin Pflug, Application Specialist for Rubber and Urethane to Substrate Bonding, H.M. Royal

This presentation will elaborate on the many ways that bonded components fail, how to prevent those failures, and how to troubleshoot the failures that aren’t prevented.
“Conductive Silicone Technology”; Steve Griffin, Director of Business Development, RDAbbott

Silicone rubber is widely recognized for its exceptional insulating properties—but with the right material technologies, it can also become an excellent conductor. This presentation will explore how the electrical characteristics of silicone elastomers can be fundamentally altered using conductive fillers, enabling new solutions for industries requiring conductivity ranges from static-dissipative up to and including electrostatic dissipation (ESD), and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. This session will provide practical knowledge for engineers and designers looking to leverage conductive silicone technologies for enhanced product performance and market differentiation.

ACS - Joint Meeting with the Cleveland Section
2025-09-24 17:30 - 20:30 | D’Angelos Italian Ristorante, 7995 Darrow Rd, Twinsburg, OH, 44087, United States
Data and AI-Driven Material Development
in the Tire & Rubber Industry
Schedule:
5:30pm: Social time
6:00pm: Dinner
7:00pm: Talk
Menu: TBD
Registration: Buy tickets at the links below. $25 for members and guests; $10 for retirees and unemployed. Undergrad and grad students and award winners are free but please RSVP at the link below.
Abstract
There are over 300 million new tires produced each per year in the United States. Tires are a complex blend of materials, engineering, and design. The typical tire is made up of approximately 80-85% rubber compound by weight. These compounds require constant improvement to meet the changing demands of customers (e.g., longer lifetimes, better grip in snow/ice) and to keep up with broader changes in society (e.g., environmental sustainability, transition to battery electric vehicles). For the past century, the tire industry has accumulated vast amounts of data and expertise on rubber compounds, their compositions/properties, and how these relate to tire performance.
In the last decade, the chemical industry, including tire and rubber, have started employing data driven approaches such as machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) for material
development. A typical problem involves developing ML/AI models to predict compound properties using information about the raw materials in the compound formula, process parameters, and other relevant factors. The benefits of using ML/AI tools include accelerating the pace of product development by reducing the volume of experimental testing needed and using the tools in an inverse fashion to suggest compound formulas likely to achieve certain targets. However, the relationships between the rubber compound formulae and performance are complex. Nonlinearities, missing/incomplete data, noisy data, sparseness of the data, and high-dimensional feature spaces pose technical challenges requiring expertise at the intersection of material science and data science.
This presentation will discuss some of the unique opportunities and challenges faced by scientists and engineers in the tire and rubber industry responsible for data driven material
development.
BIOS
Ron Shaffer is Senior Manager, West Material Digitization (DX) and Approvals at the Bridgestone Americas Technology Center in Akron, Ohio. The West Material DX team develops AI-driven digital tools to accelerate material innovation and optimize rubber compound formulations. Before joining Bridgestone in 2018, Dr. Shaffer held scientific and leadership roles at the Naval Research Laboratory, General Electric Global Research Center, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Ohio University in 1996 and is the author or co-author of over 90 peer-reviewed publications (H-index = 49, 8000+ citations) and 7 US patents.
Rocco Panella is a Lead Data Tools Developer in the West Materials Digitization Team at the Bridgestone Americas Technology Center in Akron, Ohio. He leads development on virtual materials discovery as well as other data science efforts in materials for Bridgestone. His prior experience includes deploying manufacturing-focused machine learning systems at Intel Corp and Nestle. Rocco also developed data visualization and analytics software for NAVAIR as a principal engineer at BGI, and was the principal investigator on several Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants through the Department of Defense. He received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2013.

GAC - Polymer Cluster Connectivity Conference
2025-10-01 11:30 - 17:00 | House Three Thirty, 532 West Market St, Akron, OH, 44303, United States
Conference Schedule:
11:30 am – Doors Open for Registration
12:00 pm – Program begins with lunch, State of the Organization, Innovate to Accelerate Presentation
3:45 pm – Innovation Expo, Reception and Networking
5:00 pm – Events Ends
Register at this link. GAC Member $75, Non-member $100, …
Join us for the 4th annual Polymer Cluster Connectivity Conference (PC3), the signature gathering of the Polymer Industry Cluster (PIC), as we spotlight four years of bold progress and future-forward innovation. Hosted by the Polymer Industry Cluster through the Greater Akron Chamber, this is a limited-attendance event that advances and promotes a shared, industry-driven vision for Northeast Ohio’s Polymer Industry Cluster. This year’s theme, Innovate to Accelerate, focuses on how PIC-led initiatives are driving growth through key grant-funded projects and partnerships.
Attendees will benefit from hearing from a range of speakers, an insightful keynote, an update on ongoing projects and a dynamic, science-fair-style Innovation Expo, highlighting cutting-edge developments and collaborative success stories from across the region. With engaging networking opportunities, this event will connect members, prospective partners, and innovation-minded investors—all while signaling that the Greater Akron polymer region is open for business and ready to grow.
This year’s conference will feature keynote speaker John Warner, CEO & CTO of Technology Greenhouse, LLC. John is one of the founders of the field of green chemistry, also known as sustainable chemistry. As defined by the EPA, Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry applies across the life cycle of a chemical product, including its design, manufacture, use, and ultimate disposal.
Whether you’re a longtime member or exploring ways to engage, PC3 offers a powerful platform to connect, collaborate, and accelerate the future of polymer innovation.

ACESS ** Event Cancelled: To be rescheduled ** - Advancing Societal Impact through I-Corps
2025-10-01 17:45 - 20:00 | University of Akron Research Foundation, 411 Wolf Ledges Pkwy, Suite 303, Akron, OH, 44311, United States
Advancing Societal Impact through I-Corps:
Case Studies and Participation Paths
Reservations: Use the links below. Dinner tickets: General public: $20 /person; Students/Retirees/unemployed: $10/person.
Location: University of Akron Research Foundation, 411 Wolf Ledges Pkwy, Suite 303, Akron OH, 4311. FREE Parking.
Abstract:
The National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program is designed to accelerate the translation of research into impactful innovations by emphasizing customer discovery, market validation, and evidence-based commercialization pathways. Through structured training and mentorship, I-Corps equips teams of researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry collaborators with the methodologies necessary to bridge the gap between laboratory research and societal application.
This interactive meeting will highlight exemplary outcomes from past regional I-Corps teams, illustrating how the program has supported the advancement of diverse technologies and entrepreneurial ventures. In addition, we will provide information on upcoming opportunities for prospective participants, including researchers, professionals, and community partners who may wish to engage as members of future teams.
David Strukel, Ph.D. is the Innovation Entrepreneurship Coordinator for the University of Akron Research Foundation, where he leads outreach and teaches I-Corps courses. Previously, he directed the Burton D. Morgan Center for Integrated Entrepreneurship at Hiram College, overseeing programs, competitions, and experiential learning. His career also includes over a decade of teaching entrepreneurship and communication, supported by professional experience in broadcast journalism.
Fred Carter serves as lead instructor and recruiter for the University of Akron I-Corps program, where he has supported more than 150 teams. He brings three decades of experience in corporate product launches and market development, along with his work as founder of a cost reduction consulting firm. Based in Ohio, he also serves on nonprofit boards and actively promotes workforce development and STEM education.
If interested in forming or mentoring an I-Corps team please contact Fred Carter at fcarter@uakron.edu or 330.906.1354.

ACS - Joint Meeting of the Akron, Cleveland, and NEO Sections
2025-10-09 18:00 - 21:30 | Cebar’s Euclid Tavern, Address 595 E 185th St, Cleveland, OH, 44119, United States
Cleveland Poison Symposia – Cyanide
A Joint Meeting of the ACS Akron, Cleveland, and NEO Sections
Co-sponsored by CLE AIChE, Akron Council of Engineering and Scientific Societies (ACESS), and Cleveland Technical Societies Council (CTSC)
6:00 PM
Cebar’s Euclid Tavern, 595 E 185th St, Cleveland, OH 44119-1673
“The Cleveland Cyanide Murder Case”
Douglas Rohde, SAS CLE Section
8:00 PM
Two Friends Brewing, 775 E 185th St, Euclid, OH 44119
“1982 Tylenol Tampering Incident”
Fred Fricke, US FDA FCC Director (retired)
No charge and open to the public. Please support the local establishments. Contact Mike Fricke at mfricke.phd@gmail.com to pre-order T-Shirts.

SPE - Simplay3 Tour and Dinner
2025-11-10 17:30 - 20:00 | Simplay3, 9450 Rosemont Drive, Strreetsboro, 44241, United States
Please join us for a tour at Simplay and a dinner. Buy dinner tickets at the link below. All Guests $20. for a taco bar with beverages following tour. Please submit reservations by November 7.
The Akron Section of SPE inducted Tom Murdough, the founder of Little Tikes, Step 2 and Simplay3, into our Plastics Hall of Fame for the pioneering work he accomplished with the rotational molding process. He took a prototyping process and developed it into a mass production process for toys, garden and other consumer products.
The Simplay3 story: Whether you’re 3 or 63, we want to bring more fun and joy to life. We know that simple play or work, no matter what, makes us smile. We built the Simplay3 and American Home brands to bring smiles and ease to life with products that are simply and smartly designed to tackle everyday needs from back-to-basics children’s play to maintaining your home and garden.
Our durable products partner with families throughout their day to reach, carry, hold, support and entertain with strength, quality and great design. Made in America by an American workforce, our products are easy to assemble too!

ACS - Technical Lecture
2025-11-18 15:00 - 16:30 | MGH 111, University of Akron, Akron, OH, 44325, United States
The Akron Section Award winner will give a technical lecture in the afternoon at the University of Akron.
(Note that the Akron Section Award Lecture itself is in the evening at Missing Falls Brewery and is listed as a separate event on this website.)
Professor Kevin Noonan, Carnegie Mellon University
Mary Gladwin Hall 111
3 PM, November 18, 2025
No ticket or reservation required

ACS - Akron Section Award Lecture
2025-11-18 17:30 - 20:30 | Missing Falls Brewery, 540 S. Main St. Suite 112, Akron, OH, 44311, United States
2025 Akron Section Award winner
Professor Kevin Noonan, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
“Materials Design for Energy Technologies: Leveraging Insights Across the Periodic Table”
Missing Falls Brewery, 540 S. Main St., Suite 112, Akron OH 44311
5:30 PM Networking
6:30 PM Dinner
7:00 PM The Akron Section Award Lecture
The lecture is free and open to the public. Please buy dinner tickets at the links below.
Abstract: (7 PM at Missing Falls Brewery) Over the past 15 years, the Noonan Lab has pursued two complementary directions in materials design: (1) the development of novel cationic polymers for anion transport and (2) the synthesis of precise semiconducting polymers for charge transport. A central theme in both efforts has been the deliberate use of heteroatoms to tailor structure, properties, and performance. Our work on cationic polymers is motivated by low-carbon energy technologies such as fuel cells, electrolyzers, and redox-flow batteries. Polymer design is critical to achieving high performance and long-term stability for these applications. I will highlight how our approach to anion-exchange membrane (AEM) design has evolved, with particular emphasis on appending heavy main-group element-based phosphorus and sulfur as cationic head groups to polyolefins. In addition, I will discuss the advantages of polyolefin backbones, especially polynorbornenes, which have recently emerged as promising platforms for AEMs.
Bio: Kevin Noonan is a Professor and Associate Department Head, Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University. He completed his BSc at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia working with John Coxon. His PhD work on phosphorus-containing polymers was completed under the supervision of Derek Gates at the University of British Columbia with an NSERC doctoral fellowship. His postdoctoral work on ion-containing polymers was carried out under Geoff Coates’ supervision at Cornell University with an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship. His interests combine aspects of chemistry and material science with an emphasis on creation of new polymeric materials.

ACESS - Board Meeting
2025-11-19 17:30 - 18:45 | ACS Rubber Division office, 306 N. Cleveland Massillon Rd., Akron, OH, 44333, United States
Regular monthly board meeting for the ACESS executive, society reps and advisors. Meet in person at 306 N Cleveland Massillon Rd. or virtually via the TEAMS link sent to Board members.

ORG - Winter Technical Meeting
2026-01-27 16:00 - 21:00 | Hilton Garden Inn Twinsburg, 8971 Wilcox Dr., Twinsburg, OH, 44078, United States
Agenda:
4:00 – Dinner Ticket / Membership Sales
4:30 – Technical Presentations
6:00 – Social Hour
7:00 – Dinner
Tickets:
Advanced Reservations: $35 each ***Without prior reservation: $40 each (limited number available)
Links for the online purchase of tickets will be available on this web page about one month before the event (preferred).
Alternatively, email reservations to Denise Kotz at denisekotz@strategicrealm.consulting OR mail to Ohio Rubber Group, PO Box 553, Hudson, OH 44236.
Technical Presentations:
To be announced.

ORG - Spring Technical Meeting
2026-04-28 08:00 - 17:00 | Missing Falls Brewery, 540 S. Main St. Suite 112, Akron, OH, 44311, United States
Agenda:
5:00 – Registration, Bar Opens, Buffet Dinner Opens
5:30 – Technical Presentations
7:00 – Open Networking
CHANGE IN VENUE! This event will be held at Missing Falls Brewery, 540 S. Main St., Akron.
Tickets:
Advanced Reservations: $35 each (Without prior reservation: $40 each, limited number). Reduced Fee for Students!
Online ticketing (preferred) will be available on this web page about one month before the event. We highly encourage you to pay in advance for this meeting, due to the setup, which is one large room.
“Pay at the Door” will only be available until 5:30 pm because the Technical Presentations start at that time.
Email reservations to Denise Kotz at denisekotz@strategicrealm.consulting OR mail to Ohio Rubber Group, PO Box 553, Hudson, OH 44236.
Technical Presentations:
To be announced.

ORG - Early Summer Golf Outing 2026
2026-06-17 07:00 - 16:00 | Brookledge Golf Club, 1621 Bailey Road, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, 44221, United States
Schedule:
Registration: 7:00 – 7:45 am
Shotgun Start: 8:00 am
4 Golfer Scramble
Dinner: 2:00 pm – Brookledge Pavilion
Cost and Ticketing:
Cost: $150.00, includes golf with cart, lunch, dinner, beverages, door prize, raffle ticket, skill awards and prizes.
Mulligan cards are available for an additional $5 each.
Dinner only: $40
Registration deadline: June 8, 2026
Online ticketing (preferred): Tickets will be available on this webpage a month or so before the deadline.

ORG - Late Summer Golf Outing 2026
2026-08-31 07:00 - 20:00 | Silver Lake Country Club, 1325 Graham Rd, Stow, OH, 44224, United States
Event Information:
There will be two shotgun starts: AM group – 8:00 AM (Play Your Own Ball) and PM group – 1:30 PM (Scramble)
Any morning player will have the opportunity to play an additional round in the afternoon for an additional $75.
Schedule of Activities:
7:00 AM Bag Drop – Morning Shotgun Registration Opens
7:15 AM Driving Range Opens
8:00 AM MORNING SHOTGUN
9:30 AM Bag Drop – Afternoon Shotgun
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Lunch
1:30 PM AFTERNOON SHOTGUN
6:00 PM Cocktails! (Cash Bar)
7:00 PM Dinner
8:00 PM Prize Awards
Register and pay by August 19, 2026.
Cost and Ticketing:
Entry Fee of $165 includes golf, lunch and dinner. Additional round $75.
Online ticketing (preferred): Links for purchasing tickets will be available on this web page a month or so before the event.

ORG - Fall Technical Meeting 2026
2026-09-15 16:00 - 21:00 | Hilton Garden Inn Twinsburg, 8971 Wilcox Dr., Twinsburg, OH, 44078, United States
Agenda:
4:00 – Dinner Ticket / Membership Sales
4:30 – Technical Presentations
6:00 – Social Hour
7:00 – Dinner
Tickets:
Advanced Reservations: $35 each (Without prior reservation: $40 each, limited number available).
Buy tickets online (preferred): Links for purchasing tickets will be available on this web page a month before the event.
Alternatively, email reservations to Denise Kotz at denisekotz@strategicrealm.consulting OR mail to Ohio Rubber Group, PO Box 553, Hudson, OH 44236.
Technical Presentations:
To be announced.
