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The WRC was chartered in September 1994 as an extension of the New York
State Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology (CACT) with Dr.
George Y. Onoda as director and Dr. William M. Carty as
associate director. Six
member companies – Buffalo China, Locke Insulator,
Pfaltzgraff, Sterling China, Syracuse China, and Victor
Insulators – and one associate member, the Edward Orton, Jr.
Ceramic Foundation, comprised the core membership.
In October 1995, Dr. Carty was appointed director,
following the resignation of Dr. Onoda.
Raw material suppliers were invited to join the
consortium in 1996, in conjunction with a project researching
gypsum molds. Currently,
eight industrial members (six of them charter members) and six
raw materials suppliers comprise the WRC.
The WRC conducts pre-competitive research projects of common interest to
its members; provides testing and analytical services;
organizes conferences and other educational projects; and
supports a forum for interaction and cooperation among
whiteware companies. Seeking
to be the worldwide leader in whiteware research, the WRC is
dedicated to advancing whiteware manufacturing and technology,
establishing a technological basis for sustainable growth in
the domestic whiteware industry, and enabling member companies
to meet their individual goals.
Facilitating research funding within a corporate
environment, the WRC mandates applied research for technology
transfer among member companies, aiming to increase
productivity and competitiveness.
The consortium model ideally supports the WRC’s vision and mission.
Yearly in January and July, requests for proposals,
based directly on member-identified industrial needs, are
issued to NYSCC faculty.
At semi-annual meetings, proposals are presented by
faculty and selected by members, and lead companies for each
project are assigned. The
number of projects funded annually is based on the center’s
available assets. Each
year, 10% of manufacturing members’ fees are designated for
analytical needs, including short-term and “fire-fighting”
projects.
Since its establishment in 1994, the center has grown steadily, from
$215,000 in funding in ‘94-95 to $348,000 in
‘98-99. Figures
into 2000 project funding near $500,000.
Since its inception, twenty proposals have been funded
by the WRC, including seventeen in support of graduate
research; two supporting undergraduate research; and
one equipment proposal for the upgrade of the College of
Ceramics’ roller hearth kiln facility.
Students assisting with WRC projects gain valuable industrial experience,
from professional interactions to internship opportunities.
“Our projects always attract high quality, highly
motivated students at the graduate and undergraduate
levels,” Carty noted, “who in turn feed the whiteware
industry’s needs for skilled, experienced engineers.”
Any NYSCC faculty may submit proposals for consideration.
Professors currently receiving funding include Dr.
Carty, Dr. Robert Condrate, Dr. Doreen Edwards, Dr. Linda
Jones, Dr. William LaCourse, and Dr. James Varner, all of whom
are renowned for their work in ceramic engineering and glass
science.
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