ACESS-Akron Council of Engineering and Scientific Societies

ORG - Spring Technical Meeting
2026-04-28 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | 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 until Apr 27: $35 each (Without prior reservation: $40 each, limited number). Reduced Fee for Students: $5!
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:
“Flexoelectricity in Polyelectrolyte Elastomers as Sensors and Energy Harvesters”
Mehdi Sahami, PhD student and Scholarship Winner, The University of Akron
This work focuses on a class of elastomeric materials capable of generating electrical signals under non-uniform mechanical deformation. In other words, these materials can convert mechanical deformation into electrical output, making them promising candidates for sensing and energy harvesting applications.
“From Lab to Road: Testing Rubber for Real-World Performance”
Paul Merda, Education Coordinator/Technical Advisor, ARDL
This presentation explores how laboratory testing methods are used to evaluate and predict the real-world performance of rubber components in applications such as windshield wipers, tires, and engine mounts.
PANEL DISCUSSION: “From Passion to Profession: Paths, Pivots, and Possibilities”
Moderator: Fred Carter, Strategic-Partner, Schooley Mitchell
Panelists: Will Mars, Endurica; Jason Poulton, Semi-Retired; Eric Britton, Materials Engineer, Bridgestone Americas
The goal of the panel will be to highlight some industry professionals with Engineering or PhD backgrounds and how they have progressed to their current position in the industry. We’ll aim to highlight some struggles, victories, and tips/lessons that might be helpful for the students, but also for young professionals.

SPE - Akron Section Awards Ceremony
2026-05-18 17:30 - 20:00 | Raintree Golf and Event Center, 4350 Mayfair Rd, Uniontown, OH, 44685, United States
Please plan to join us for the last meeting of the season as we present various awards and scholarships.
Our Hall of Honor inductee is John Fellenstein, and the William C. Zekan Memorial Service Award will be presented to Fred Carter.
Program information:
5:00 Sign-up and Networking, 5:30 Welcome and Introduction, 6:00 Dinner, 6:45 Keynote Speaker, Awards and Scholarships, Wrap‐up
Deadline May 13: SPE member/guest $30; students $10. Purchase 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. Also please use the RSVP link of if you experience difficulty with the online ticketing. If you have questions about the event, please contact Jenny Digiantonio at jenny.akronspe@aol.com.

MSNO - 68th Annual May Conference
2026-05-20 08:00 - 17:00 | John Carroll University, Dolan Science Center, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118
Microscopy Society of Northeastern Ohio jointly with Society of Applied Spectroscopy, the Akron Section of the American Chemical Society, and the Akron COuncil of Engineering and Scientific Societies.
For paper submission and for online registration go to the event website.
Registration fees: Society Members $40, Non-members $50, Retirees and full-time students $20. Please register by May 7 at 5 PM.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER (2026): Julianna Ly, Associate Conservator of Paintings, Cleveland Museum of Art
Title: “Beneath the Brushstrokes: Investigating Paintings with Microscopy & Spectroscopy Technologies”
CONFIRMED ​INVITED SPEAKERS (2026)
Laura Bruckman, Case Western Reserve University, “Materials Data Science Approach to Fluoroelastomer Crystallization”
Allison Christy, NASA Glenn, “Evaluating Crystallinity in Thermoplastic Composites”
Mike Dunphy, Walsh University, “TBD”
Tony Rollet, Carnegie Mellon, “Can We Predict Fatigue with a Digital Twin of Additive Manufacturing?”
Metin Uz, Cleveland State University, “Functional platforms for exosome bioproduction and isolation”
Courtney Wagner, Kent State University, “TBD”

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): Buy tickets using the links below.

ACESS - Summer Picnic and Social Gathering
2026-08-02 12:00 - 15:00 | Cascade Park – Holden Pavillion, 130 Lynn Dr., Hudson, OH, 44236, United States
Planned meal: Hamburgers/ Hot dogs /Sausage plus sides, desserts supplied by attendees plus coffee, and soft drinks.
More information will be posted here as the time approaches.

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, ACS, SPE - 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: Members and general public $35 each (Without prior reservation: $40 each, limited number available). Students $10.
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.
