WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER
The Chapter was formed in 1988. Until then, Western Pennsylvania was part of the area covered by the Delaware Valley Chapter.
The Chapter chairs were:
1988 |
Irwin Richman |
1989 |
Sam Sinharoy |
1990 |
Richard A Hoffman |
1991 |
S V Krishnaswamy |
1992 |
Chris C Bowman |
1993 |
James Rushin |
1994 |
John Brewer |
1995 |
Jim Kern |
1996 |
Jim Kern |
1997 |
Chris Horwitz |
1998 |
Hong Koo Kim |
1999 |
Chris C Bowman |
2000 |
Chris C Bowman |
2001 |
Chris C Bowman |
2002 |
Chris C Bowman |
2003 |
Chris C Bowman |
History of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter
Jack Singleton
The initial impetus for the formation of the Chapter came from Irwin Richman of Advent Associates, Ltd. in the spring of 1987. A questionnaire, sent to the approximately 125 AVS members living in the Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia area, elicited a typical 20% response, all in favor of the concept. The petition for the formation of the chapter was accepted by the AVS Board of Directors in the fall of 1987. The provisional leadership, pending a chapter election, was Richman, chair, Chris Bowman of Carnegie-Mellon University, vice-chair , and Carl Friedhoff of Westinghouse, secretary/treasurer. An inaugural dinner meeting, with Joseph Greene as the speaker, was held on March 1998, with 39 people in attendance at the dinner. In the remainder of the first year the Chapter hosted two further dinner meetings, and a program of three short courses. In addition a one day symposium on “Deposition of Diamond and Diamond-Like Carbon” was organized at Pennsylvania State University by Russell Messier and S. V. Chrishnaswamey and attracted around 100 attendees. The chapter was off to a great start. In each of the following years, through 1997, the Chapter successfully hosted one or more dinner meetings, and an annual short course offering, plus a number of one-day symposia and some plant visits.
Early support for the Chapter was widespread, including representation from Penn State University, from vendors/manufacturers, including Lesker, Leybold, Meyers, and MKS, but with a disproportionate representation from Westinghouse and its alumni. The dissolution of Westinghouse removed a great deal of support, and the fact that the Chapter continued reasonably effective until 1998 was largely due to Chris Bowman and Rob Harris, at Carnegie-Mellon, and the facilities they could access at their institution. Since 1998 several attempts to reinvigorate the Chapter have been unsuccessful.
1988
3 dinner mtgs in March; Dinner Meeting: Speaker- Joe Greene
June: Dinner Meeting: Speaker-John Yates
September: Symposium “Depostion of Diamond and DLC “ had 41 attendees: and three courses were given.
December: Dinner Meeting: Speaker-Jack Singleton.,
1989
March 7: Dinner Meeting: Speaker- Dave Hoffman
June 28-89: Symposium on “Nanolevel Spectroscopies for Materials Characterization”, Holiday Inn, Pittsburgh. There was a $100 award for the best student paper. There was a vendor exhibit.
November 9-10: Course program in Pittsburgh; 5 courses.
1990
March 20-22: course program at Holiday Inn, University Center, Pittsburgh
June 27, 2nd annual symposium, Holiday Inn, University Center, Pittsburgh
December 4: Dinner Meeting at Carnegie-Mellon Univ
1991
June 3-5: 3rd annual symposium at Sheraton Station Square; there were 3 awards for the best student posters
An area teacher was sponsored to attend the Science Educators’ Workshop in Seattle and a new program was started to have teachers and students visit various labs.
1992
March 10: Dinner Meeting at Carnegie-Mellon Univ ; Fred Dylla gave a talk on “Glow discharge; from Franklin to Fusion”
June 9: 4th annual symposium at Oakland Holiday Inn, Pittsburgh; 4 courses were given.
1993
March 17: Dinner Meeting at Penn State Univ on “The new era of US R&D” by Rustum Roy; the fee was $15 and $5 for students
May 4: 5th annual symposium at Carnegie-Mellon Univ
1996
March 19-21: Dinner Meeting at Harley Hotel Pittsburgh; Gary McGuire gave a talk on “High Brightness Field emission devices for display and microwave tube applications”. Jack Singleton taught a “Vacuum technology” course and Gary McGuire taught a “Surface preparation” course; the fees were $720,and $475 respectively.
1999
November 10: Dinner Meeting. T. Michalske gave the first lecture at an chapter meeting in the new Distinguished Lecturer series.