In Memoriam

George N. Foster

(  -2016)

George N. Foster, Jr., 78, of Hacksneck, VA passed away on September 13, 2016.  Dr. Foster, Jr. attended the University of New Hampshire and then Virginia Tech, where he received a PhD in Chemical Engineering. He worked for Union Carbide (Bound Brook, NJ) during his 37 year career in the polymer science field, receiving numerous patents and teaching engagements for his work. He retired in 1999.  Dr. Foster was a member of the American Chemical Society for 53 years and a Division of Polymer Chemistry member for 32 years.

Dr. Foster bequeathed $2,000 to the Division of Polymer Chemistry to support POLY education.  POLY holds two annual symposia for outstanding undergraduate and graduate students. These symposia have an excellent track record of fostering polymer education and promoting excellence in polymer research.  Dr. Foster’s bequest will be used to support these two symposia.

The 14th “Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research” and 13th “Undergraduate Research in Polymer Science” symposia will be held at the Spring ACS National Meeting in San Francisco, CA, April 2017.  The purpose of the symposia is to provide recognition to outstanding graduate and undergraduate students in polymer science and engineering, foster networking and exposure, and help develop the careers of future leaders in the field.  Organizers publicize the symposia by inviting universities to nominate outstanding students to speak on their polymer science and engineering research.  The program includes oral and poster presentations and features a career panel of successful POLY members who highlight graduate opportunities and careers.  The 2017 graduate symposium will have a record 34 oral and 19 poster presentations and the undergraduate symposium will host 13 oral and 33 poster presentations from 30 institutions across the nation.