A former College of William & Mary student and his then-faculty adviser have been honored for a paper they wrote detailing research the student conducted to strengthen a common household plastic.
Xianlong Ge conducted the research when he was working toward his doctorate at William & Mary, though a paper detailing the work was not published until several years later. The Society of Plastics Engineers subsequently awarded Ge and his then-adviser, Bill Starnes, with the 2014 Elliott Weinberg Vinyl Communications Award.
Ge’s research sought to test a method of injecting polyvinyl chloride plastics — think the white PVC pipes in a house — with more chlorine, with the hope the added chlorine would strengthen the material and make it more durable.
The research determined that particular method was not a viable strategy for strengthening the plastic, which is also used in molded parts for cars and vinyl plastics such as shower curtains and seat covers.
Starnes, who is now a professor emeritus at William & Mary, said the work is valuable in that it establishes that method as unviable to all who research the plastic in the future.
Ge is now a lecturer of chemistry at Penn State’s campus in Harrisburg.
The Society of Plastics Engineers is a professional society dedicated to researchers, marketers and creators of plastics across the globe.
Swem Library Hires New Director of Development
The Earl Gregg Swem Library at the College of William & Mary has hired an alumna of the college to serve as its director of development.
Kimberly Separ, who graduated from the college in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and art history, will oversee the library’s advancement work, manage its board and lead its team of external relations employees.
“I am pleased to be back home at William & Mary and to join the Swem team. I look forward to meeting our alumni and donors and sharing our memories of Swem,” Separ said in a news release announcing her hire.
She previously served as the director of development and community relations for Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries.
