French Scientist Receives Otto Schott Research Award

This year, the Otto Schott Research Award valued at 25,000 euros was presented to the French scientist Professor Tanguy Rouxel (Director of the Applied Mechanics Laboratory (LARMAUR), University of Rennes, France). He received the award for his research achievements in the area of mechanical properties of glasses and glassy materials. It was officially presented on May 18, 2010, in Corning, New York, during the 2010 Glass and Optical Materials Division Annual Meeting organised by The American Ceramic Society.

Highly respected internationally as a scientist his fundamental research on organic polymers and metallic glasses, chalcogenides and oxide glasses explores structure of glass in the atomic and nano value range.

“The work of Tanguy Rouxel is essential to gaining a better understanding of the elastic properties and deformation of glasses and how to reduce damages,” Professor Carlo Pantano, a member of the Board of Trustees, noted in his laudation on the selection of this year’s award winner. “His ability to apply insights from what appear to be completely different fields to glass science and technology certainly ranks as one of his most remarkable skills,” Professor Pantano added. In addition, he called Rouxel an excellent networker who actively participates in numerous scientific projects.

In his ceremonial address, Dr. Hans-Joachim Konz, a member of the Board of Management at Schott and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ernst Abbe Fund, underscored the immense importance of close cooperation between science and industry by saying: “The exchange of knowledge and experience is what makes innovations possible.” He then added that Tanguy Rouxel is hardly a stranger to Schott. After all, he and the company have been working together for years on exploring the strength of glass and the life expectancy of glass products.