PPG foundation donates $120,000 to Penn State for undergraduate research

This marks the third year the PPG foundation has supported Penn State undergraduate students participating in the 10-week summer program, this year funding eight fellowships, as well as one graduate student for a full year’s research along with additional student opportunities.“PPG Industries values Penn State’s MRI programs because they help prepare students for careers in fields related to PPG’s business, such as coatings research and development,” said Sue Sloan, executive director of the PPG Industries Foundation. “We’re excited to continue our relationship with Penn State and provide funding that expands opportunities for students and grows our ties with this well-respected research institution.”The PPG Industries Foundation has donated $120,000 to the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) for its Materials Research Institute (MRI) Student Assistantship Program and additional programming.This year the PPG foundation funded eight PPG Undergraduate Research Fellows in the 10-week summer program, all of whom visited the PPG Coatings Innovation Center in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, on July 29. The fellows met and presented five-minute talks on their research to PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) scientists such as Philip Yu (second from left), director of science and technology initiatives, and Mike Makowski (second from right, in back row), senior research associate for specialty coatings and materials.



Each summer student who is named a PPG Undergraduate Research Fellow conducts a materials research project under an advisor’s supervision, and then summarizes it in a poster presentation held in conjunction with the National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. Jacob Wisser, a 2014 PPG Undergraduate Research Fellow, went on to win a Barry Goldwater Fellowship – considered the most prestigious U.S. award for undergraduate research – for his summer research project.



The 2015 fellows also gave five-minute presentations on their research at the PPG Coatings Innovation Center in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, on July 29.



“We are very thankful for the support PPG provides to MRI and the PPG Undergraduate Research Fellows,” said David Fecko, MRI industry relations coordinator at Penn State. “The program offers our undergraduate students a terrific opportunity to pursue research in an area of their choosing, giving them important experience in the challenging and exciting world of materials research.”



The Materials Research Institute encompasses 15 departments in five colleges at Penn State. The university’s engineering departments are committed to driving materials-based research and development, and the National Science Foundation recently ranked Penn State as the nation’s top materials university based on total research expenditures.





The PPG Industries Foundation has donated $120,000 to the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) for its Materials Research Institute (MRI) Student Assistantship Program and additional programming. The inaugural Millennium Café Pitch Competition supported by the grant offered an opportunity for 45 Penn State students to highlight research projects through posters and two-minute pitches, such as the one Mike Makowski (left), senior research associate for PPG Industries’ (NYSE:PPG) specialty coatings and materials business, is discussing here with graduate students Birgitt Stogin (center) and Jing Wang. (Image: Penn State)



The PPG Industries Foundation aims to create brighter, more colorful communities wherever PPG has a presence in the United States. By investing in educational opportunities, we help grow today’s skilled workforce and develop tomorrow’s innovators in research and development, manufacturing, information technology and other careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Plus, we empower PPG employees to make an impact for causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer efforts and charitable giving. Learn more at www.ppgcommunities.com.



About The Pennsylvania State University

The Pennsylvania State University was chartered in 1855 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as one of the nation's first colleges of agricultural science, with a goal to apply scientific principles to farming. Penn State now encompasses a broad mission of teaching, research and public service. With 24 campuses, 17,000 faculty and staff, 100,000 students and an online World Campus, Penn State is one of the largest universities in the United States. For more information, visit www.psu.edu.



PPG: BRINGING INNOVATION TO THE SURFACE.®

PPG Industries' vision is to be the world’s leading coatings company by consistently delivering high-quality, innovative and sustainable solutions that customers trust to protect and beautify their products and surroundings. Through leadership in innovation, sustainability and color, PPG provides added value to customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more ways than does any other company. Founded in 1883, PPG has global headquarters in Pittsburgh and operates in more than 70 countries around the world. Reported net sales in 2014 were $15.4 billion. PPG shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol:PPG). For more information, visit www.ppg.com and follow @PPGIndustries on Twitter.

 

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