With the theme “Gateway to the New Millennium,” the American Ceramic Society’s (ACerS) 102nd annual meeting and exposition will be held April 30-May 3 in St. Louis, Mo.—home of the famous “Gateway Arch.” According to ACerS, more than 125 companies will display and demonstrate raw materials, chemicals, manufacturing equipment and services.

The symposia at this year’s meeting is grouped in into four categories: Ceramics in Information Age Technologies and Systems, Application Driven Ceramic and Materials Engineering, Ceramic Processing, and Cross-Cutting Topics.

The technical program will run for three and a half days. It opens on Sunday afternoon with the presentation of the Frontiers of Science and Society - Rustum Roy Lecture. Monday through Wednesday will lead off with a Plenary Award Lecture followed by technical sessions. Oral presentations will be 30 minutes and 15 minutes for invited and contributed talks. A poster session is scheduled for Monday afternoon.

Monday and Tuesday, noon to 2 p.m. will be “Expo-only” hours with an exhibitor sponsored lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Monday. A special low “Monday only” registration fee will also be offered.

The annual panel discussion will be held on Monday from 4 to 6 p.m., with the theme “ Frontiers of Materials Research and Product Innovation.” The panel will feature representatives from industry, universities, government and national laboratories who have knowledge and experience relevant to the topic selected for the discussion for that year.

The panel session provides opportunity for interactive idea exchange between manufacturers, users and scientific experts on issues of materials research and product development for the third millennium. It also gives some opportunity to learn and understand the role government and universities play in selecting research areas, funding and the role of decision-making. Primary discussion points will include the importance of joint efforts of industry, university and government in the areas of future research, product development, consumer survey, manufacturing and global marketing.

Panelists will include Kathryn V. Logan, U.S. Army Research Office; Stephen W. Freiman, National Institute of Standards & Technology; A. Kundsen, Kyocera International Inc.

James W. McCauley, U.S. Army Research Laboratory; Robert Pohanka, U.S. Department of the Navy; Rustum Roy, Pennsylvania State University; and David L. Wilcox Sr., Ceramic Technologies Research Lab/Motorola Labs.