SPE to honor four leaders at ANTEC 2015

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) is handing out awards for outstanding contributions to the plastics industry to four industry members.

The SPE’s most distinguished award, the International Award for an individual’s lifetime achievement, is going to Dr. Richard J. Spontak, an Alumni and Distinguished Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. “Although active in a diverse range of disciplines, [Spontak’s] primary research interests relate to the phase behaviour and morphology/property development of nanostructured polymers, polymer nanocomposites, electron microscopy, and stimuli-responsive (electroactive and shape-memory) media,” SPE said.

Dr. Richard J. Spontak.

The Business Management Award will go to Charles A. Sholtis, the CEO of Plastic Molding Technology Inc. (PMT), a Texas-based manufacturer of small, precision-engineered, injection-molded components used in diverse industries. “Under Charles’ leadership, PMT was named the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s 2014 Manufacturer of the Year and was recognized for its industry-leading sustainability initiatives and operational excellence,” SPE said.

Charles A. Sholtis.

The SPE’s Education Award will be presented to Dr. Sarah Morgan, a Professor in the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM). “[Dr. Morgan] joined the university in November 2002 after a fourteen year career in industrial R&D,” SPE said. “Her expertise is in the area of polymer surfaces and interfaces. She was awarded the Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics Prize for 2010.” Morgan had a principal role in establishing two new programs at USM, an on-line master’s degree in polymer science and engineering with emphasis in polymer composites, and a B.S. in polymer science and engineering, the first engineering program at USM.

Dr. Sarah E. Morgan.

The fourth and final award, the Research/Engineering Technology Award, goes to Dr. Sureshkumar Shah, a 30-year veteran of the automotive industry with General Motors and Delphi. “In 1992, [Shah’s] idea of developing a single piece plastics door module to replace more than 50 metal pieces was a great success in the industry,” SPE said. “For this he received more than seven prestigious awards worldwide.” Shah holds 28 U.S. and international patents, and has written more than 70 technical publications.

Dr. Sureshkumar D. Shah.

The SPE awards will be presented during SPE ANTEC 2015, will take place March 23-25, 2015 at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Fla., and will be co-located with the NPE2015 international plastics show. The awards ceremony will be held on the evening of Sunday, March 22, at the 2015 Plastics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in the Linda W. Chapin Theater of the OCCC.