|
|
|
|
|
MATRIC Holds 2010 Annual Meeting and Reception
On October 20, MATRIC held its Annual Reception at the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences for customers, donors, and invited guests. The reception was preceded by annual meetings of MATRIC's and MATRIC subsidiaries' boards of directors.
The theme for this year's reception was "MATRIC: Strong Foundation, Bright Future". The keynote speaker was William "Bill" Hutchison, Executive-in-Residence, WVU College of Business and Economics, (former Corporate Director of Human Resources, Union Carbide), who spoke about Carbide's strong history in the Kanawha Valley and its foundation for the birth of MATRIC.
MATRIC President & CEO Keith Pauley spoke briefly about "MATRIC's today story", and Dr. Paul Hill, Vice Chancellor for Science & Research, the WV Higher Education Policy Commission, gave an an update on the WV Education, Research and Technology Park, of which MATRIC is a key tenant. MATRIC Vice President Betty Ireland was the moderator for the evening.
Several MATRIC staff members were honored during the evening as being "STAR Employees". They are: Vic Baker, Advanced Systems Technologies; Dr. David Statler, Chemical and Environmental Technologies; Vince Davis, Chemical and Environmental Technologies; Dr. Duane Dombek, Chemicals, Energy & Environmental Technology business area; Tonya Huffman, Administration; and Ron Belcastro, Engineering and Technical Services. Stephen E. Kawash was honored as STAR Board Member for 2010.
With over 800 invited guests from West Virginia's leading corporations, federal agencies, universities, non-profit foundations, and state and local political leaders, the annual event celebrates MATRIC's past, present and future efforts in research, development, commercialization and job creation success.
|
|
Reducing the Environmental Footprint of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory
MATRIC, as a subcontractor to Environmental Dimensions Inc. (EDi), has been working for the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) site for the last 18 months. MATRIC is initiating site characterization activities using an innovative approach to determine the nature and extent of contamination in the soils and sediment at this complex environmental site in eastern Tennessee. The EDi/MATRIC team has worked closely with the DOE, U.S. EPA Region 4 and the State of Tennessee (TDEC), to initiate work using the Dynamic Characterization Strategy (DCS).
This environmental program-level approach has resulted in achieving significant incremental progress with regulatory approval releasing over 600 acres of the ORNL site for future use. The DCS approach provides a flexible means of incorporating new information and data as it is acquired, to tailor investigations so that an accurate picture of contamination and its distribution and impact in the environment can be formed. The DCS approach facilitates incremental progress in a cost effective and efficient manner and provides a more complete definition of the environmental impact of past facility operations. It also increases the level of understanding and oversight by the regulatory agencies, who must be satisfied that a thorough and complete assessment of the environmental impact from the site has been provided and documented in the public interest.
An April 2009 announcement made by Inez Triay, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management for the DOE, set forth the goal for use of stimulus funding for significantly reducing the environmental footprint of DOE sites across the county. The approval by DOE and the regulatory agencies for the release of 600+ acres at the ORNL site represents a reduction of approximately 25% of the total Environmental Management program administrative area of the site. Program level planning and initial field implementation has progressed to the point where it is very probable that an additional 500-600 acres of the site will be released for future use within the next 12 months, representing a total reduction of the environmental site by 50% by 2012. This significant accomplishment has been achieved by DOE through the teamwork of the EDi/MATRIC contract and a commitment by all of the stakeholders (DOE, EPA and TDEC) toward making significant and substantive progress in environmental clean-up.
Contact Tennessee Operations VP Ken Skinner for more information.
|
|
Direct Coal Liquefaction:
Insights from Patent Analytics
By: Madan M. Bhasin, MATRIC, and
Mr. Balakrishna Uppala (Sci-Tech Patent-Art Services,
Hyderabad, India)
With the ever-growing demand for petroleum-based fuels, scientists and researchers worldwide are working on alternative transportation fuels from a variety of sources. Liquefaction of coal, both Direct Coal-to-Liquids (DCL) and Indirect Coal-to-Liquids (ICL) have been commercialized prior to the Second World War in 1930s-40s in Germany and UK and are recently being implemented at scale in several locations around the world.
Click here to read more.
|
|
Union Carbide Retirees Hold Reunion
Early in October the Carbide Retiree Corps held its first ever world-wide employee reunion in West Virginia, the site of a large Carbide facility for over 60 years.
The 2010 reunion was a great success with over 550 retirees, spouses, and guests attending two days of activities at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Charleston, and provided the ability for former Carbiders to get together with old friends and co-workers.
Because many of MATRIC's scientists, chemists and engineers are former Carbide employees, MATRIC sponsored a booth for the event, so attendees could better understand what MATRIC is and what we do. |
|
Tech Park Update
On December 15, 2010, the ownership of the South Charleston Tech Park, the former home of Union Carbide in the Kanawha Valley, officially changed hands from Dow Chemical to the State of West Virginia, specifically to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. The name of the park was changed to the West Virginia Education, Research and Technology Park.
A final report was issued by consultants from Battelle and CH2M Hill, which will frame the blueprint for how the park will evolve and move forward.
"From day one, the park will pay critical dividends for economic development in the state," said Dr. Brian Noland, the WVHEPC Chancellor. "By advancing the park as part of the Commission's statewide higher education system, there is a renewed opportunity to promote innovation and commercialization in West Virginia. This report by Battelle offers a well-documented and strategic approach to moving forward."
Click here to read the full story:
|
|
Randy Lawson Named MATRIC Chief Financial Officer
 MATRIC President and CEO Keith Pauley is pleased to announce the addition of James R. "Randy" Lawson as Chief Financial Officer. He brings an extensive background in accountancy, primarily of chemical manufacturing companies. "We have gained a valuable asset with Randy joining our management team," stated Mr. Pauley.
Mr. Lawson began his professional accounting career at Union Carbide Corporation in South Charleston, West Virginia. He has held various financial positions at Ashland Oil, Steel of West Virginia, and most recently Clearon Corporation as Corporate Controller.
Mr. Lawson is an alumnus of Marshall University with a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's degree in business administration. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has served as a board member of the West Virginia Society of CPA's.
|
|
MATRIC Headquarters Has a New Address
On December 15, 2010, because the South Charleston (Dow) Technology Park changed its name and ownership, MATRIC has a new address. The former Dow site is now known as the West Virginia Education, Research and Technology Park (WVERTP). MATRIC's new physical address is 1740 Union Carbide Drive, South Charleston, WV 25303. The phone number and post office address remain the same, 800-611-2296 and P.O. Box 8396, respectively.
|
|
Job Postings
From time to time, we will have the space to print job openings for other companies. This month's posting is on behalf of Tecnocap, a metal closure stamping facility located in Glen Dale, West Virginia. They are looking for an Apprentice Tool and Die Maker, and also a Chemical Project Engineer.
Click on job title to view job description.
|
|
|
|
Click here to contact us by e-mail, telephone, or to enter your comments. |
|
|
|
