7 minute read
Personality: SGT President
Forming a global glass community
After 60 years in the glass industry, Dr Arun Varshneya has become the Society of Glass Technology’s fi rst president from overseas. His plans for his presidency include expanding the society’s global reach and focusing on the sustainability of glass.
The Society of Glass Technology (SGT) is a nonprofi t organisation based in Sheffi eld, UK.
The society provides a communication network for the industry by publishing journals and textbooks, and organising meetings and conferences on glass related topics.
Dr Arun Varshneya said he was honoured to be the society’s 58th President. He succeeds Stuart Hakes, Chief Executive at FIC, who held the position between 2019 and 2021.
Dr Varshneya is President and CEO of Saxon Glass Technologies, and was a Professor of Glass Science & Engineering at the Alfred University in New York, US for 28 years.
He has 45 years’ experience in research on ion exchange strengthening, and has authored several key publications and patents dealing with the process.
SGT
joining the glass industry. His fi rst thought was of him upon hearing he was SGT’s new president.
“My fi rst reaction was to thank my late father who pushed me to study glass at the Dept of Glass Technology, University of Sheffi eld, under the chairship of Professor RW Douglas way back in 1962.
“I have always had pleasant interactions with the SGT, beginning from my fi rst week in Sheffi eld, and so it was quite an honour to be asked to become its 58th president.”
Dr Varshneya has been associated with the society since his studies began in 1962, and said that the relationship never faltered when he returned to the US in 1965, after completing his degree at Sheffi eld.
“In early days, I used to admire the SGT staff for their hard work abstracting for the Society Transactions.
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“Now it has come around in full circle! I have presented invited lectures at society meetings, published in the journal, and have delivered a short course on glass, sort of giving back.” (Pic 1)
A global vision
Dr Varshneya believes his experience in the industry has given him a unique skillset for his role as SGT president. From his education to being an industrial scientist, to a professor and finally an entrepreneur.
“The full 360° experience along with business skills and fundraising skills for non-profits will perhaps provide a broader vision of the SGT.”
As the first SGT president from overseas, Dr Varshneya believes his connections to American and Indian organisations will help him to expand the society’s global reach.
“I appreciate the desire of the SGT Council to attempt to internationalise the Society and pick me as their first overseas-domiciled leader.
“My strong attachment to the American Ceramic Society as a distinguished life member can greatly help me carry that mission, in addition to building up our strength as a glass professional group providing a service to the benefit of mankind-atlarge.”
Despite being based in America, Dr Varshneya is optimistic that he will be able to stay connected to the membership and the leadership of the society using online media. He said that ‘the pandemic has taught us how to work remotely’. However, he will visit the UK from time-to-time.
Pic 1. SGT members at � an International Commission on Glass (ICG) meeting in London, 1968. Including Dr Varshneya (right) and the late Professor Guenther H Frischat of ClausthalZellerfeld, Germany (left).
� Pic 2. Dr Varshneya (back row, last on the right) as a final year honours student at the Department of Glass Technology, University of Sheffield, 1965.
� Pic 3. EpiPen and chemically strengthened glass cartridge.
Goals for presidency
Dr Varshneya said he had five goals for his time as president: �1) Build a bridge across the Atlantic. He would like to put the SGT in closer working relationship with the American Ceramic Society. Since he also has good relations with the Indian Ceramic Society, the All India Glass Manufacturing Association, he dreams of building a ‘Glass Alliance’ - much like the ‘Star Alliance’ of airlines.
� 2) Increase its individual and corporate membership. � 3) Increase journal content and impactfactor, for example by improving the h-index (number of citations) of the journals. To this end, Professor Alastair Cormack has become the Editorin-Chief of two SGT journals: ‘Glass Technology’ and ‘Physics and Chemistry of Glasses’. Professor Cormack is well recognised in glass sciences, as a
Professor of Ceramic Science and Founding Dean of the Inamori School of Engineering at Alfred University. � 4) Add a focused ‘Sustainability with Glass’ as a regular feature alongside our other technical symposia each year. He may also consider adding named symposia. � 5) Expand SGT interaction with trade shows such as Glassman, Glass Performance Days, Glass Problems Conference and with trade magazines. He said a glass industry professional should have a seamless access or transition between moving from one to the other by providing cross-links.
Dr Varshneya said he would be happy if he could achieve three out of the five goals.
Career
After his initial education at Agra University (India), Dr Varshneya started his education in glass with Professor Douglas at Sheffield (Pic 2), and then with Professor Alfred R Cooper in Cleveland, US.
He enjoyed 12 years as an industrial research scientist at Ford and GE Lighting before being invited by Alfred University in 1982 to join faculty rank. During his time as a teacher and researcher, he took the time to write the textbook ‘Fundamentals of Inorganic Glasses’.
This gave him a global reputation from students and glass professionals: “As a result of my textbook, I have often been called the ‘Glass Guru’, which brings smile to my face.”
Dr Varshneya’s recent area of study has been the chemical strengthening of glass, but he has explored with composition-property-structure relations, molecular dynamics calculations of glass structure, non-oxide glasses, natural glasses, industrial issue such as glass inhomogeneity, and glass-to-metal sealing.
“After spending 60 years in glass, I could say, I am one of the more thoroughbred horses in glass on the globe.”
In 1996, while still a full-time university faculty member, Dr Varshneya set up Saxon Glass Technologies as an entrepreneurship. This was to fill the market need for a chemically strengthened glass cartridge for EpiPens (Pic 3). These devices combat anaphylaxis shock caused by severe allergic reactions.
The “little strengthened glass business” has supplied 0.5 billion cartridges since 1996, helping save thousands of human lives each year with a near-zero probability of glass fracture during administration.
Dr Varshneya is now retired from his Alfred University professorship, but still remains actively involved with glass R&D at Saxon Glass.
� Pic 4. Dr Varshneya teaching a short course in Fundamentals of Glass Science & Technology to industrial participants.
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Next steps
Dr Varshneya said that creating glass products to benefit others was the most enjoyable aspect of the industry for him. For example, knowing that his glass cartridge for the EpiPen could potentially save a life. More recently, Saxon Glass has also provided glass specific to Covid-19 vaccine storage needs.
“I enjoy working on glass topics which would make our precious planet liveable for generations to come. We must look at the issues relating to glass in sustainability, healthcare, and communications.”
He continued that he had always taught his students to focus on glass products and processes that would bring benefits to humankind (Pic 4).
“Working on issues of zero-carbon glass melting, recycling, conservation of resources, toxic waste immobilisation and, of course, glass in healthcare and in communications should bring joy to anybody.”
Moving forward, Dr Varshneya hopes to unite with likeminded individuals through the SGT.
“I invite individuals who are as excited about glass products as I am to come forward with outreach efforts and organise symposia and webinars which discuss cutting edge concepts to students and professionals alike in an instructional manner.” �
