ACESS-Akron Council of Engineering and Scientific Societies

ACESS Board Meeting
2024-11-20 17:30 - 19:30, 2025-01-15 17:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Rubber Division, 306 N Cleveland Massillon Rd, Akron, 44333, United States

SPE - Radici Plastics USA Plant Tour
2024-11-21 17:00 - 20:00 | Radici Plastics USA, Inc, 960 Seville Rd #8316, Wadsworth, OH, 44281, United States
Thursday, November 21, 2024
5:00 PM 8:00 PM
Radici Plastics USA, Inc.
Radici Plastics USA in Wadsworth, Ohio has 8 compounding production lines, a pilot line, QC Lab, and an R&D Lab. Our most common grades are PA6 and PA66, used in a wide range of applications. We have an A2LA lab, ISO 17025, IATF 16949, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 certifications. In house testing abilities include tensile, impact, viscosity, melt flow rate, rheology, DSC, FTIR, CIE color, and many more.
Please join us for a tour of our facility from 5pm-8pm. We will offer 3 groups a chance to see production lines running, QC laboratory testing, and a brief discussion of our company. There will be pizza and snacks provided – cost is $15 per person.

ACS - ACESS Joint Societies Meeting
2025-01-16 17:30 - 20:30 | Missing Falls Brewery, 540 S. Main St. Suite 112, Akron, OH, 44311, United States
Space Tribology: A Primer
Dr. Christopher DellaCorte, Timken Endowed Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Director, Center for Engineered Surfaces and Lubrication Engineering, The University of Akron
VENUE: MISSING FALLS BREWERY, 540 S. Main St, Akron, Ohio in the Event Room
(Parking available in front of building, easy direct access to event room)
5:45 pm. Social- Networking time
6:30 pm. Dinner
7:15 pm. Speaker Presentation
Buffet, Cash Bar: Cost: $25 Employed Members of ACESS Societies and Guests; $10 Students, Retirees, or Unemployed. But tickets online at the links below.
ABSTRACT: Tribology is the study of contacting surfaces, friction, and wear. Tribological phenomena are part of our daily lives on earth and can often pose significant engineering challenges. In space, such challenges are amplified by the unusual conditions of vacuum, zero-gravity, and extreme temperatures. Planned future habitations on the moon and Mars will undoubtedly create additional tribological problems and opportunities for new engineering solutions.
In this lecture, basic tribological concepts are introduced alongside the unique characteristics of the space environment. Several examples of space tribology problems encountered on the International Space Station and their solutions are presented that illustrate the importance of good mechanical engineering and sound tribological practices essential to successfully living off-planet.
BIO: Dr. Christopher DellaCorte is a full, tenured professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Akron, in Akron Ohio. He is the newly appointed Director of the University of Akron’s Engineering Tribology Laboratory (AETL). Prior to joining academia in 2022, he concluded a long career in federal service as NASA’s Senior Technologist for Tribology and Rotating Machinery. He is a highly visible and widely recognized leader in the field of tribology, mechanical components and aerospace technology. His academic background includes degrees in Fluid and Thermal Sciences, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with a deep emphasis in Materials Engineering. His career experience includes research on longstanding extreme tribology challenge areas such as the high temperatures, high speeds and high loads often encountered in spacecraft and aircraft.
He has published extensively in journals, government technical reports, book chapters and conference papers. His innovative research has resulted in eleven patents related to tribological coatings, high performance bearing alloys, materials processing, and mechanical components. He has a strong track record in forensic failure analysis of mechanical systems and has been frequently called upon to solve important and vexing NASA and industrial problems. He is now developing a vibrant research program within academia as a tool for student training.
Dr. DellaCorte’s research has been awarded major recognition by industry (R&D 100 awards), government and prominent professional societies. His work on coatings technology was recognized as NASA’s Government and Commercial Invention of the Year for 2018 and his pioneering work on NiTi alloys received the 2019 ASM Engineering Materials Achievement Award. He has helped solve major bearing and other mechanical system problems on the International Space Station (ISS) and for NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS). His forensic work has been recognized by NASA with many awards including the prestigious Silver Snoopy bestowed by the astronaut corps.
Dr. DellaCorte is deeply engaged with professional technical societies. He is a fellow of both the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE). He was the founding Editor of STLE’s highly regarded Tribology & Lubrication Technology (TLT) magazine and has served as the Editor-In-Chief of STLE’s peer reviewed journal Tribology Transactions since 2016.

ORG - Winter Technical Meeting
2025-01-28 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
Advanced Reservations: $35 each ***Without prior reservation: $40 each (limited number available).

Pay in Advance for this meeting using the links below! (This is the preferred method of payment.) Please note that although we are using PayPal to make the transaction, you do not need to have a PayPal account. Simply just enter your Credit Card information.
Alternatively, email reservations to Denise Kotz at denisekotz@strategicrealm.consulting or by mail to Ohio Rubber Group, PO Box 553, Hudson, OH 44236. Winter Technical Meeting Reservation Form

Technical Presentations:

“Chloramine Devulcanization: Setting New Standards in Carbon Black and Rubber Recovery from End of Life Tires.” Dr. Patrick Kroeger, CTO, Arduro Sustainable Rubber
Arduro’s patented technology uses a unique two-stage process to devulcanize, separate, and recover raw materials from end of life rubber products. Through this process Arduro is able to produce both recovered carbon black and polymer from waste rubber products.
“LG Chem Americas New Technical Center, Tire Polymer Innovations, and Sustainability Strategy.” Paul Smith, Technical Service Engineer, LG Chem Americas
This presentation will highlight the capabilities of LG Chem Americas new technical center in Ravenna, Ohio. The company’s latest tire polymer innovations and sustainability strategy will also be touched on.
“Introduction to Understanding & Utilizing Analytical Testing.” Eric Britton, Technical Sales Manager, ACE Laboratories
This presentation is a basic overview of several thermal and analytical testing methods for polymers, and includes practical examples of their use in problem solving.

Goodyear Stem Career Days - Call for participation and financial support from companies and organizations
2025-02-08 | OH
High School: Saturday, February 8, 2025, 8:00AM – 12:00PM at The University of Akron, Akron OH
Middle School: Saturday, April 5, 2025, 8:00AM – 2:30PM at Ohio Firestone CLC, Akron OH
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is excited to announce its 26th annual STEM Career Day! This is the company’s flagship community outreach program that has grown with great success over the years. This event is designed to be engaging, hands-on, and most of all, a fun way for students to learn about STEM.
We welcome you to consider participating in Goodyear STEM Career Day as a way to educate and excite students about STEM. There are multiple ways for your company/organization to be involved, from participation in the information fair, volunteering to have an interactive activity, or by providing financial sponsorship. Those who have participated in previous events have found the experience to be very rewarding and mutually beneficial. We do hope you will consider participating in 2025.
About Goodyear’s STEM Career Day

Mission: To inform and encourage young people to pursue opportunities, both educationally and professionally, that exist in various science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.
Student groups compete in a Rube Goldberg® Challenge to win Goodyear-funded grant money and prizes. High school students also can apply to win both Goodyear and university-funded scholarship money.
In 2024:
o Almost 500 students from more than 80 schools attended
o The event provided students $31,000 in grants and scholarships
o 118 Goodyear volunteers participated in the event
o 22 companies and organizations participated in the event, showcasing STEM disciplines in practice

What’s in it for your company/organization?

These students are your company’s and Ohio’s future workforce. It’s a great recruiting tool!
This event is a great opportunity to showcase what your company has to offer students as they pursue their dream job.
It is a chance to give back to the community in which we work!
This event is FREE for students to attend and for your company/organization to participate in!

How can I get involved?
There are multiple ways in which you can participate in the Goodyear STEM Career Day. We welcome you to participate in whatever way interests your company.

Information Fair (approx. 8AM–9AM @ Middle School event, 8AM-12PM @ High School event)
o Provide an opportunity for the students to tour table displays of STEM companies, organizations, and universities.
o Table displays only, handouts/giveaways are encouraged, no PowerPoint presentations. Please avoid giveaways that make noise that may be distracting during the day, and food due to food allergies.
Interactive Activities (approx. 9AM – 2:30PM @ Middle School event only)
o Four to six 30-minute sessions that bring STEM disciplines to life for students through simple demos, interactive activities, or other creative means such as skits, game shows, etc.
o These interactive activities should be fun and meaningful to capture students’ attention, increase their knowledge of basic STEM principles, and attract them to STEM fields.
o Include a brief summary of your company/organization, its products, and its impact on society.

What are the sponsorship opportunities?

Blue Sponsorship: $500. A sponsorship level of $500 supports the participation of 15 students to the STEM Career Day event.
Gold Sponsorship: $750. A sponsorship level of $750 supports the participation of 25 students to the STEM Career Day event. Will allow for your company or organization’s logo to be displayed on the event website, which is used for all student and organization registration.
Wingfoot Sponsorship: $1050. A sponsorship level of $1050 supports the participation of 35 students to the STEM Career Day event. Will allow your company or organization to have your logo displayed on our STEM Career Day website, as well as on the backs of the event shirts. Shirts will also be provided to the individuals your company sends to the event.

Registration is open! Please visit this link to register.

ACS - ACESS Joint Societies Meeting
2025-03-06 17:30 - 21:00 | Missing Falls Brewery, 540 S. Main St. Suite 112, Akron, OH, 44311, United States
Dr. Sadhan Jana of the University of Akron
BF Goodrich Professor, School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering
Separation of PFAS from Water Using Meso- and Macro-porous Materials
5:45 PM Networking
6:30 PM Dinner
7:00 PM Lecture (open to the public)
Dinner Reservations: Buy tickets at the links below: $25 for members/public and $10 for students/Retired/Unemployed. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Abstract: Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are an emerging class of contaminants that are environmentally persistent, bioaccumulative, and noxious to human health. Among these, the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) molecules are widely found in ground and surface water sources. A novel high surface area, meso- and macro-porous polymer wet gel is used in this work as adsorbent of PFOA molecules from water at environmentally relevant PFOA concentrations (≤ 1 μg/L) and cleanse water to below the U.S. EPA’s 2023 health advisory limit of 4 parts per trillion (ppt). The sigmoidal shape of PFOA adsorption isotherm indicates a two-step adsorption mechanism attributed to strong affinity of PFOA molecules for the polymer surface and molecular aggregation at the solid-liquid interfaces or within the pores of the wet gel. The adsorption kinetics and the effects of wet gel porosity, pore size, and pore volume on removal efficiency are reported. The adsorption kinetics is seen strongly dependent on the pore size and the pore volume.
BIO: Professor Sadhan C. Jana is currently the B.F. Goodrich Endowed Chair and Professor in the School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. He is a chemical engineer by training with a Ph.D. degree from Northwestern University. Professor Jana has been teaching at the University of Akron since 1998 and has served as the chair of Polymer Engineering Department and as associate dean for research in the College of Engineering and Polymer Science. Professor Jana received National Science Foundation Faculty Early CAREER Award, Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Fred E. Schwab Award for outstanding achievements in education, George Stafford Whitby Award for distinguished research and education from the American Chemical Society Rubber Division. He is a Fellow and Honored Service Member of SPE and a Fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry, UK. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of Polymer Engineering & Science Journal and Executive Editor of all SPE journals – Polymer Engineering & Science, Polymer Composites, Journal of Vinyl and Additive Technology, and SPE Polymers journals.

ACESS - Celebration of Stem
2025-03-11 16:30 - 19:30 | The University of Akron Student Union, 303 Carroll St, Akron, 44304, United States
Celebration of STEM for 4th and 5th Graders
The Student Union at the University of Akron
4:30 – 7:30 PM

SPE - Nottingham Spirk Tour
2025-04-14 17:00 - 20:00 | Nottingham-Spirk, 2200 Overlook Rd, Cleveland, 44106, United States
Please join us to tour this exciting and creative product development company in Cleveland Ohio (registration: get tickets at link below – pricing for all is $10). Dinner afterwards will be held at Tavern of Little Italy, 12117 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland 44106 (each guest pays own bill).
For over 50 years, Nottingham Spirk’s innovation consulting and product design firm has developed hundreds of patented products that have generated over $50 billion in sales for industry-leading businesses and fast-growth entrepreneurial firms. Nottingham Spirk offers a unique product design and development process in which all phases are conducted under one roof at our 62,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art Innovation Center, increasing confidentiality and speed to market.
Our wide breadth of IoT development capabilities allow us to seamlessly integrate physical devices with the digital world, creating smart and interconnected systems that can communicate with each other, monitor their environment and make intelligent decisions based on data analysis. This means that our clients can now enjoy increased efficiency, improved productivity and dependable safety and security across a range of industries and applications.
Please check them out at https://www.nottinghamspirk.com/
Security Note: Nottingham Spirk is a government contractor so these rules apply for this tour: no pictures allowed during the visit; per government regulations, visitors will be asked to identify if they are a U.S. citizen, Green Card holder or other and will be issued a visitor badge to wear throughout their visit.

ACESS - Presidents and Advisors Meeting
2025-04-16 17:30 - 19:30 | Summit Educational Service Center, 420 Washington Ave, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, 44221, United States
Nick Wagner:
Artificial Intelligence in Everyday Work & Life
Registration: 5:00 PM
Meeting: 5:30 – 7:30 PM
This ACESS Presidents and Advisors Meeting is intended to bring together the ACESS Member Societies and our Advisors to discuss important issues regarding our profession – this year the impact of artificial intelligence. ACESS Presidents, Please respond by April 1 to Schultz Dave <schultzdave54@gmail.com> to coordinate the presentation from your society. This meeting is also open to society members and to interested members of the public.
Catering by Diamond Deli: Boxed Deli Sandwich – roast beef or turkey, potato salad, chips, brownie, plus drinks/coffee. $15. Please buy tickets by Wed. April 9 at the link below.
Program:

“Artificial Intelligence in Everyday Work & Life” by Nick Wagner
Panel Discussion:
– Dr. I. Chun Tsai and Associate Professor from LeBron James Family Foundation
– Sarah K. Starnes, Esq.- Assistant Professor The University of Akron Law School
Society Presentations: (oral, no PowerPoints)
– What else can ACESS do to help your society further engage your society members?
– What is your society doing with Artificial Intelligence?

“Artificial Intelligence in Everyday Work & Life” Synopsis:
This talk will cut through the hype to reveal the real-world applications of AI and how it is already augmenting human potential in homes, classrooms, and workplaces. Drawing on personal experiences and the latest research, we’ll dive into concrete examples of AI transforming education, revolutionizing scientific research, enhancing business processes, advancing medical breakthroughs, and optimizing engineering solutions. From shaping the next generation of innovators to pushing the boundaries of your field, we’ll explore how AI is reshaping our world.
Nick Wagner Bio:
Nick Wagner is a Senior Member of IEEE and IEEE Computer Society, a business leader, and an AI optimist with extensive experience leveraging AI for coding, business automation, customer support, text and image generation, classification, and education. As a business leader, he has extensive firsthand insights into AI’s opportunities and challenges. A homeschooling father and mentor, Nick actively integrates AI into education, coaches his children and others on its ethical use, has delivered AI-focused talks, served as a featured panelist for the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and is currently writing a book on faith and AI, advocating for its responsible use to augment human potential across education, industry, and beyond.

ACS - John C. Crano Award Lecture
2025-04-22 17:30 - 20:30 | Missing Falls Brewery, 540 S. Main St. Suite 112, Akron, OH, 44311, United States
Omar Farha
Professor of Chemistry, Northwestern University
Nano Solutions for Global Challenges: The Promise of Metal-Organic Frameworks
Evening Program at Missing Falls Brewery
5:30 PM Networking
6:30 PM Dinner
7:00 PM Presentation of Awards and The John. C. Crano Lecture: Omar Farha

There will also be a technical lecture by Omar Farha at 3:00 PM on Apr 22 at the Unversity of Akron in MGH 111. Both the afternoon and evening lectures are free and open to the public.
Buy dinner tickets online at the links below. The dinner price increases by $5 after Apr 15. The dinner for each awardee plus one guest is free, but please RSVP at the link below. In addition to the Crano Lecturer, the awardees include Outstanding Juniors, The Gene Easter Awardee, and member being recognized for 50, 60 , and 70 years of ACS membership.
The Crano Memorial Lecture series honors John Crano, a chemist at PPG, who had been instrumental in developing the photochromic materials for PPG’s polycarbonate eyeglass lenses. This technology has become the basis for Transitions® eyeglasses. Crano was a former chair of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Akron Section and an active ACS member.
Evening Abstract: Nano Solutions for Global Challenges: The Promise of Metal-Organic Frameworks Eighty years ago, polymers were largely unknown to the general public. However, in the late 1930s, one polymer—nylon—became a household name almost overnight. Nylon’s debut revolutionized the women’s hosiery market, marking the beginning of a materials revolution that would take decades to unfold. Over time, polymers became indispensable, finding applications in clothing, kitchenware, electronics, building materials, medicine, and beyond. Today, they are recognized as one of the defining materials of the 20th century.
Looking ahead, porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)—often referred to as “smart and programmable sponges”—are poised to become a hallmark material of the 21st century. Although this class of multidimensional crystalline materials is still in its early stages, their potential is vast. Fifty years from now, MOFs could be as integral to human life as polymers are today.
MOFs can be envisioned as nano-scale Tinker Toy assemblies, with metal nodes and organic linkers forming highly ordered, periodic structures. This modular design gives MOFs remarkable versatility and tunability, enabling a wide array of applications. Researchers worldwide have already explored their relevance in drug delivery, water harvesting, gas storage, chemical separations, and the destruction of toxic agents such as nerve gases.
Significantly, the commercialization of MOFs has begun, with start-up companies driving the transition from lab-scale research to practical, real-world applications. This talk will delve into the transformative potential of metal-organic frameworks, highlighting their role as enabling materials for environmental applications. From basic scientific discovery to implementation and commercialization, MOFs are paving the way for innovative solutions to some of society’s most pressing challenges.
Bio: Omar K. Farha is the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry and Department Chair at Northwestern University, an Executive Editor for ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, and President of Numat Technologies. His current research spans diverse areas of chemistry and materials science ranging from energy to defense-related challenges. His research accomplishments have been recognized by notable awards and honors.
Afternoon Abstract (Mary Gladwin Hall 111, 3 PM April 22, 2025): Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) can be envisioned as nanoscale Tinker Toy-like architectures, where metal nodes connect with organic linkers to form highly ordered, crystalline networks. This modular design imparts MOFs with extraordinary versatility and tunability, allowing researchers to precisely tailor their structural and chemical properties for a diverse range of applications. Over the past two decades, scientists have explored MOFs for drug delivery, water harvesting, gas storage, separation applications, and even the breakdown of hazardous substances such as nerve agents. Their exceptional porosity, high surface area, and tunable chemistry make them ideal candidates for addressing complex challenges in energy, sustainability, and environmental remediation. Crucially, MOFs are no longer confined to the laboratory. The past decade has witnessed a significant shift toward commercialization, with innovative start-ups and industry leaders driving the transition from fundamental research to real-world solutions. Companies are now leveraging MOFs for industrial-scale gas separations, efficient hydrogen storage, carbon capture and conversion, and advanced filtration technologies for clean water and air purification. The integration of MOFs into membranes, coatings, and catalytic systems is further expanding their impact, making them key enablers of next-generation materials science and engineering. This talk will focus on the role of MOFs in separation applications, highlighting their potential to revolutionize gas separations through selective adsorption, molecular sieving, and tunable interactions.

ORG - Spring Technical Meeting
2025-04-29 17:00 - 20:00 | 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
PLEASE NOTE: CHANGE IN VENUE!
This event will be held at Missing Falls Brewery, 540 S. Main St., Akron.
Registration

Advanced Reservations: $35 each; buy tickets online at the link below. Please note that although we are using PayPal to make the transaction, you do not need to have a PayPal account. Simply enter your Credit Card information.
***Without prior reservation: $40 each (limited number). 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.
FREE to Students, but you must make a reservation in advance at the link below.
Alternatively, email reservations to Denise Kotz at denisekotz@strategicrealm.consulting OR mail to Ohio Rubber Group, PO Box 553, Hudson, OH 44236.

Technical Presentations

“Exploring the Failure Mechanisms of Elastomeric Systems”
Asal Yousefi Siavoshani, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron
This study investigates the fundamental mechanisms governing delayed rupture and fracture in elastomeric systems, with a particular focus on the roles of bond dissociation kinetics and chain dynamics.
“New “Swiss Army Knife” Molecule for Safety and Technical Performance”
Justine Guironnet, Key Account Manager, Rhein Chemie / Lanxess
Lanxess proposes an innovative and safe molecule that can be used in all types of compounds, like a Swiss army knife. Thanks to the chemistry of this molecule, mechanical properties are improved, blooming is avoided and toxic chemistry could be removed.
PANEL DISCUSSION: “Beyond Business Cards: Turning Networking into Opportunity”
Fred Carter, Strategic-Partner, Schooley Mitchell
Mike McDonnell, Business Development Manager, Ace Laboratories
Networking isn’t just about swapping business cards—it’s about building real connections that open doors. This presentation shares how professional societies, industry groups, and volunteer organizations can expand networks, deepen relationships, and create career opportunities. Drawing from experiences with the Ohio Rubber Group, the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society, the Polymer Industry Cluster, Rotary, and Scouting, this session offers practical tips for getting involved, taking on leadership roles, and leveraging connections for job interviews, career growth, and personal enjoyment. Whether you’re a student or a seasoned professional, learn how to make networking work for you—with a bit of humor along the way.

SPE - Akron Chapter Awards Ceremony
2025-05-19 17:00 - 20:00 | Raintree Golf and Event Center, 4350 Mayfair Rd, Uniontown, OH, 44685, United States
Please join us for the last meeting of the season as we present various awards and scholarships.
Elyse Ball, Vice President of Programming- Bounce Innovation Hub – Keynote Address: Path from Innovation to Successful Business: Helping Entrepreneurs Realize Technology Commercialization
Medal of Honor for Lifetime Service Awards will be presented to Dan Jones and Joe Mattingly. Our Hall of Honor inductee is Will Hemker, and the William C. Zekan Memorial Service Award will be presented to Tony Dean.
Program information:
♦ 5:00 Sign-up and Networking
♦ 5:30 Welcome and Introduction ‐
♦ 6:00 Dinner
♦ 6:45 Keynote Speaker: Elyse Ball, Vice President of Programming- Bounce Innovation Hub
♦ Following our Keynote Speaker: Awards: SPE Medal of Honor For Lifetime Service Award, SPE Hall of Honor, SPE William C. Zekan Memorial Service Award, Named Scholarships
♦ Special Thanks and Final Wrap‐up
Please reserve by May 8. Buy tickets online using the links below. For honorees and one guest for each honoree, the dinner is free, but please reserve the relevant number of places at the RSVP link below.
Although it is past the deadline, late tickets and RSVPs are still available.

MSNO - 67th Annual May Conference
2025-05-21 | John Carroll University, Dolan Science Center, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118
Keynote speake: Dr. Larry Drummy, Air Force Research Laboratory
More information will be posted as available.

Polymer Cluster - Polymer Palooza
2025-06-08 10:00 - 13:00 | 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. Tickets at the door without prior reservation: $40 each (limited number available)
Use the links below for online purchase of tickets (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:
“Advanced Rheological Characterization of SBR with Recovered and Carbon Black Fillers Using Rubber Process Analyzer (RPA)”
Unal Yilmazoglu, Applications Engineering Manager, Alpha Technologies
With rising interest in sustainable fillers for rubber compounds, there is a growing need for detailed rheological characterization. Using RPA with Sub-Zero technology, this study provides a comparative rheological analysis of SBR compounds filled with recovered carbon and conventional carbon black at various filler loadings. Additionally, Fourier Transform (FT) rheology provides distinct viscoelastic fingerprints that differentiate recovered carbon from carbon black-filled formulations.
“Stiffness-Hysteresis Tradeoff in the Dynamic Mechanical Behavior of Rubber Compounds Reinforced with Precipitated Silica, Carbon Black, and Other Nanofillers”
Christopher G. Robertson, Principal Consultant, Polymer Technology Services LLC
A review of numerous data sets for temperature-dependent dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) of various nanofiller-reinforced rubber compounds reveals that the peak height for loss tangent (tand) in the glass transition region is inversely related to the dynamic storage modulus in the rubbery state, the latter influenced strongly by the type and concentration of filler. The results that illustrate this stiffness-hysteresis tradeoff include recent DMA data for a model passenger tire tread compound, based on styrene-butadiene rubber reinforced with different loadings of precipitated silica and silane coupling agent. This general trend is also noted for published data for various rubber compounds filled with precipitated silica or carbon black and with data for various elastomer nanocomposites from scientific literature. Viscoelastic models show the same inverse relationship, independent of any material-related interpretation. This viscoelastic tradeoff will be discussed along with implications for the performance of tire treads and other rubber applications.
“Synthesis of Carboxyl Terminated Polymyrcene by Anionic Polymerization using CO2”
Trishna K Chengappa, PhD student and Scholarship Winner, The University of Akron
This work investigates the termination of anionically polymerized myrcene with carbon dioxide to produce carboxylic acid–terminated polymers, aiming to enable further functionalization and non-linear architectures like graft copolymers. Challenges such as maximizing carboxylation in bulk, managing side reactions with THF, and optimizing CO₂ addition are addressed through tailored reaction conditions and characterization methods.

SPE - Americhem Tour
2026-02-23 17:00 - 20:00 | Americhem – World Headquarters, 2000 Americhem Way, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, 44221
Gather and Tour 5:00 PM
Buy tickets at the link below $10. Reserve by Feb. 20.
Dinner following at Rockne’s, 1203 Bailey Rd., Cuyahoga Falls.
Optional and individually purchased.
Come join us on February 23rd for a tour of our Headquarters in Cuyahoga Falls, including our Innovation Center, Analytical Lab, and Weathering Facility!
