16 | Coatings World www.coatingsworld.com February 2014
two Pittsburgh-area high schools
– Steel Valley and Aliquippa. AIM
operates in underserved communi-
ties across the country to address
academic performance and personal devel-
opment of students while encouraging them
to use their passion for athletics as a vehicle
to embrace values that lead to on- and off-
the-field success. “PPG is a strong supporter
of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the academic
interests of area high school students,” said
Taunya Tinsley, regional coordinator for
Academics in Motion. “We’re excited to
partner with them to help impact the aca-
demic and athletic achievement of students
in these two schools.” PPG has supported
the Steelers across various educational initia-
tives since 2006. Funding the AIM program
provides student-athletes at Steel Valley
and Aliquippa high schools an opportunity
to work with a youth development coach
(YDC) who helps address academic, career,
social and emotional needs through the
school year. Each school’s YDC provides
one-on-one counseling, tutoring, life skills
instruction and SAT/ACT preparation in
addition to community service, college selec-
tion and other guidance to help improve stu-
dents’ grade point average, graduation rates
and athletic eligibility. “PPG is pleased to
help provide hard-working student-athletes
in the Greater Pittsburgh community with
much needed academic resources and sup-
port,” said Sue Sloan, executive director, PPG
Industries Foundation. “Helping enhance
the quality of life in communities where we
operate is a hallmark of PPG Industries, and
helping develop tomorrow’s workers and
leaders through programs like AIM benefits
both the region and companies such as ours
that do business here.”
Valspar Donates $1 million
for University of Minnesota
Materials Science and
Engineering Lab
The University of Minnesota College of
Science and Engineering will receive a gift of
$1 million over five years from Minneapolis-based Valspar Corporation, provided
through the Valspar Foundation. This gift
will be used to provide high-tech equipment
for the University’s new undergraduate laboratory, an essential component of modern
education and research in materials science.
The new Valspar Materials Science
and Engineering Lab will be located in
the Gore Annex of Amundson Hall at the
Department of Chemical Engineering and
Materials Science. Construction will be
completed in summer this year and students will begin benefitting from the new
lab when classes begin in fall, with full
completion in early 2015. The lab will
include testing equipment that characterizes the mechanical performance of materials, electron microscopes that image at
the nanoscale, and other equipment that
can measure magnetic, electrical and optical properties.
“This gift from Valspar allows us
to grow our undergraduate materials
science and engineering program and
outfit the new lab with state-of-the-art
equipment that is second to none,” said
Frank Bates, head of the University’s
Department of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science. “We are thankful
for Valspar’s support and forward-look-
ing mission to help us build one of the
best materials science and engineering
programs in the country.”
Valspar’s shared mission to develop
world-class materials science and prod-
ucts, along with proximity of research
laboratories were primary factors in the
company’s decision to award the gift.
The gift announcement comes as Valspar
completes a major expansion of its
Minneapolis R&D facility. With comple-
tion scheduled for this spring, the Valspar
Applied Science and Technology Center
will enable the current campus to accom-
modate up to 135 additional researchers
and technologists.
“The alliance of Valspar with the
University of Minnesota is clearly a
strong match with our strategy for
science and innovation leadership in
the coatings industry,” said Cynthia
Arnold, Valspar’s senior vice president
and chief technology officer. “Valspar
will benefit from the University’s out-
standing interdisciplinary program for
materials science, a specific coatings
program, and proximity to one of our
major research laboratories.”
The University of Minnesota’s mate-
rials science and engineering program
has seen tremendous growth in demand
as a wide range of companies, from oil
companies to computer chip manufac-
turers, to medical device companies,
begin recognizing this emerging field as
critical to their success, Bates said. In
just the last few decades the number of
materials science and engineering stu-
dents at the University of Minnesota
has increased four-fold.
“The University grew the materials
science and engineering program very
purposefully with world-class faculty,
quality graduate programs, and now a
robust undergraduate program,” Bates
said. “This new lab will allow us to deliver on our promise of excellence and put
Minnesota at the forefront in materials
science and engineering.”
Axalta’s Commitment
to Veterans Earns it the
Michigan Values Veterans
(MV2) Certification
Axalta Coating Systems’ Mount Clemens
facility was presented with the MV2
certification at the Michigan Values
Veterans conference presented by TMG,
Inc. in Troy, Michigan. The certification
is for Axalta’s pledge to hire and retain
U.S. veterans.
“We are very excited to be one of
the first companies involved with the
Michigan Values Vets Initiative,” said
Virginia Gronley, Axalta Learning and
Development Consultant. “As one of
Mount Clemens’ largest employers, we
believe in attracting, hiring and retaining
the best talent out there. And with the
discipline and focus that many of our veterans have, it’s a great talent pool for us.”
PPG Video Features
DURANAR GR, CORAFLON
GR Graffiti-Resistant Clear
Coat
PPG Industries’ industrial coatings business has produced a new video introducing DURANAR GR (graffiti-resistant) and
CORAFLON GR factory-applied clear
coats. When combined with DURAPREP
Prep 400 field-applied graffiti remover by
PPG, the coatings create what is believed
to be the only graffiti-resistant architectural coating system sold and tested by
the same company.
