STLE - Powered by Passion
Dr. Martin Webster | TLT President's Report June 2016
International outreach, advocacy for our profession and re-energized local sections are among the highlights of our society’s past 12 months.
STLE’s Philadelphia Section partnered with Quaker Chemical to support a series of in-classroom labs at the high school level.
STLE’S PAST PRESIDENTS WARNED ME that my own year as president would flash by in the blink of an eye. As usual they were right, and I cannot believe that a year has passed since I started as president at last year’s annual meeting in Dallas.
In my first TLT column I mentioned that I was looking forward to working with some of the best volunteers and staff of any professional society. Perhaps that sounded like a boastful claim on behalf of STLE. However, much has been achieved during the last year, all of it due to the passionate efforts of STLE volunteers and staff, and I am even more convinced of my original claim. In this, my final column as your president, I would like to share just a few of the highlights and key events.
Continued globalization in our industry was highlighted in our Trends in Tribology and Lubrication Engineering report, published in 2014. About 20% of our members are from outside North America. Many of us work for companies that operate globally, and scientists routinely collaborate across national boundaries. STLE partners with the global network of national organizations in our field. Next year the Chinese Tribology Institute will host the World Tribology Congress in Beijing. STLE members are actively organizing technical sessions, and we are promoting the event in North America.
We also are taking steps to support our members and friends across the world. In November 2015 we held our first series of training courses during the Inter Lubric exhibition in Shanghai, China. Local STLE volunteers not only helped organize the event but created and gave the courses in Mandarin. This was a first for STLE, and plans are well under way for a similar event for metalworking fluid courses in June of this year. Our partner, the Kellen Company, has helped us form a coordinating council comprised of local volunteers who teleconference regularly, and we have created a Chinese STLE Website. We are now well positioned to further grow and support our STLE community in China.
STLE is increasingly fulfilling an advocacy role for our profession. A critical element of this is our Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) effort aimed at helping high school students realize that science and technology is fun and can provide rich and rewarding careers, especially in Tribology and Lubrication Engineering. We’ll complete our fourth national STEM camp during our annual meeting in Las Vegas, and once again a happy group of high school students will learn how tribology surrounds us in everyday life.
At STLE’s 2015 STEM Camp in Dallas, former NASA astronaut Capt. Heidmarie Stefanyshyn Piper discussed careers in engineering and chemistry with high school students.
The STEM cause also has been embraced by some of our local sections. I would like to mention the efforts of our Philadelphia Section, which has teamed up with one of our corporate members, Quaker Chemical, to support a series of in-classroom labs performed at a local high school. A few weeks ago I was privileged to witness one of these classes in action and was moved by what I saw. It was a perfect example of collaboration between a corporate member and local STLE volunteers. The Philadelphia section has formed an impressive 12-member STEM Committee to grow its local program even further. I know that other sections are following suit and have their own plans for STEM activities.
I am very proud to have represented an organization that is full of volunteers that selflessly devote their time to such important causes. STLE’s immediate past president, Dr. Maureen Hunter, is one of the primary movers and shakers behind our STEM programs. I am pleased to announce that Maureen has agreed to become STLE’s first STEM ambassador. In this newly formed role Maureen will make sure that we remain committed to this cause to help grow future professionals for our related industries and research institutions.
Dr. Maureen Hunter
Local sections form the backbone of many of the society’s activities and help provide local networking and educational opportunities. It gives me great pleasure to announce that a new student chapter has been formed at the University of Monterey in Mexico due to the efforts of two of its highly committed teachers. Recently I visited two sections that have been reborn due to the efforts of some energetic and passionate STLE volunteers. Remarkably, the Canton Section received this year’s award for outstanding small section in its very first year of restarting.
During my time as president I also have had the pleasure of visiting many of our corporate members. Without exception I have received a warm welcome, and I appreciate the time dedicated to discussing how STLE can better serve your interests. The continued support of all of our corporate members is highly appreciated, and their candid feedback is helping us develop even better programs for the future.
Three years ago we established a three-year strategic plan in which we defined our membership value statement summarized by the words in our new logo—Connect, Learn, Achieve. Our strategic plan is not just a written document hidden away in a file. Many new initiatives related to advocacy, education and supporting a global membership are well underway. During the last year the Executive Committee and STLE staff worked on updating the plan. We have found that much of what we have started remains relevant today, so we will continue along a similar path. Watch for further improvements in our already excellent training, education and conference programs and increasing STEM and student scholarship activities.
Before I hand the reins of leadership to our next president, I would like to thank those who have helped to make my time as the STLE president one of the richest, rewarding and occasionally fun years of my professional life.
Upon assuming the presidential role I was dismayed to learn that there is no manual available providing instruction on how to be an STLE president. Consequently, it has been the ultimate learning-on-the-job experience. With that in mind I would like to thank my colleagues on the Executive Committee and the board of directors for their support, patience and occasionally forgiveness as I have navigated the various issues and challenges during the last year.
I cannot let this occasion pass without recognizing STLE Executive Director Ed Salek and the staff at Park Ridge. During the past few years we have asked them to undertake different roles as we execute various elements of our strategic plan. They have responded with enthusiasm and skill and are the reason why many of our efforts are now bearing fruit. Finally I need to thank STLE and its members for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your president over the last year.
STLE is fortunate to have Dr. Ali Erdemir from Argonne National Laboratory as its next president. Ali is an internationally renowned researcher and brings his unique perspective to STLE. Powered by the passion of its volunteers and staff led by our new president, I am convinced STLE will continue to thrive.
Dr. Ali Erdemir
Thank you.
Martin Webster is a senior research associate for ExxonMobil Research and Engineering in Annandale, N.J. You can reach him at martin.n.webster@exxonmobil.com.