PPG Foundation donates $40,000 to polymer research mentorship program

12/06/2017

The PPG Foundation today announced a $40,000 grant to our College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering to support our new polymer research mentorship program.

The donation allows the program to provide support for graduate students who wish to mentor undergraduate students pursuing the new minor in polymer science and polymer engineering. Funding will go toward graduate assistants, undergraduate research students and research expenses. UA plans to recruit four teams of graduate and undergraduate students to begin working together in the summer and fall of 2018.

PPG-Award-Presentation

A check from the PPG Foundation for $40,000 for our polymer research mentorship program is presented by Michael Makowski, left, PPG manager of new technology initiatives, specialty coatings and materials, to students Gregory Brown and Elizabeth Lewis, and to Dr. Eric Amis, dean of the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering.

“One of the best ways to learn is by teaching, and in research, this means mentoring,” said Dr. Eric Amis, dean of the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. “PPG’s generous gift will assist selected student researchers and their doctoral student mentors in this new program. We are excited to have this opportunity for our Ph.D. candidates to mentor undergraduate students on projects they design and conduct.”

The application process will be announced each fall and spring semester for projects starting in summer, fall, or spring, as appropriate. A committee of faculty in the college will consider applications and make recommendations.

The teams will present their work as participants in the college’s annual Polymers Appreciation Day poster session. They also will have the opportunity to visit PPG research centers to discuss their work and learn more about the company.

   

Media contact: Dan Minnich, 330-972-6476 or dminnich@uakron.edu.