Kickstart: SPE auto awards stretch to include COVID work

This year's Society of Plastics Engineers Automotive Innovation awards will include a new category this year, reflecting work done by the auto industry to help fight COVID-19.

The Industry Solutions for COVID-19 category still honors automakers and suppliers, but rather than honoring work on, say, a sports car, the winners will all be medical programs.

"The automotive plastics industry developed a number of extrordinary innovations for battling COVID-19," said Jeffrey Helms, global automotive director of Celanese Corp. and chairman of the 2021 awards. "Protective masks, face shields, clothing, medical supplies, ventilators and more were made possible or enhanced with plastics. We're looking forward to honoring our industry heroes who worked together to provide fast, efficient and effective solutions for COVID-19."

Finalists for the awards, to be presented Nov. 10, include multiple teams working on the Ventec ventilator system with General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co.'s all-plastic PAPR ventilation system and Ford's production of personal protective equipment and face shields. Two other projects involving PPE that were made using DuPont Tyvek and other nonwoven materials are also finalists.

In 1984, Joe Prischak — the founder of Plastek Group — was worried about the lack of education programs for plastics engineers. He visited the local college, Penn State Behrend in Erie, Pa., and proposed it begin a plastics engineering program.

He worked with the college and other business leaders to create what is now considered one of the top programs worldwide for plastics education. Now the school has just awarded Joe Prischak and his wife, Isabel, with the Behrend Medallion, honoring their work not only in business and education but for their entire community.

It is only the 21st time the college has presented a Medallion in its 74 years.

"The Prischaks are longtime friends of Penn State Behrend and leaders of the Erie community," Behrend Chancellor Ralph Ford said in a news release. "They bring entrepreneurial thinking not only to their business, but to their philanthropy as well — using their generosity to advance opportunities that improve lives."

It's the second big honor for Prischak this year, following on his earlier induction into the Plastics Hall of Fame.

Plastek is now run by the Prischak's sons.

"You take good care of your people, and you treat them like you would like to be treated. What more can I say?" he said earlier this year, speaking with Plastics News Editor Don Loepp. "I think people talk very kindly about Plastek. They're proud to be able to say, 'I work at Plastek,' or 'I used to work at Plastek.' And here in Erie, almost everybody has been to work at Plastek."

Do you have a budding artist at home? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is accepting submissions until Dec. 10 for its annual marine debris art contest.

Students in kindergarten through eighth grade can participate in the contest. Thirteen submissions will be selected for use in a 2023 NOAA calendar.

"[The contest] helps raise awareness about marine debris," the government agency said on its website. "Marine debris is a global issue and we believe that engaging our youth is an important part of addressing the problem."

The art will be judged on creativity, artistic presentation and relevancy to themes of marine debris and work to clean up waters and beaches.

The 2022 calendar is already available to download for free. (The image for August comes from a Michigan first-grader.)