meeting follow up

Ancient Arrowheads, Roman Baseball Cards and Optical Fibers. The Many Uses of Glass Robert J. Ponton Scientific Glassblower University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Friday March 29, 2002 Fireside Lounge University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Union Building (Second Floor) Program to be held in Chemistry 170 after the dinner

DIRECTIONS

Human's first use of Obsidian predates recorded history. The talk will follow the uses of glass from when it was first made more than 6000 years ago to its continued use today. Starting with slides of scientific apparatus from the through to today's custom apparatus where we see a long beneficial union between the scientific glassblower and the chemist.

We will work some hot glass with the aid of a portable glassblowing bench and the help of some audience volunteers.

Bob Ponton is a scientific glassblower at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Primarily responsible for the fabrication and repair of research glass apparatus, Bob also teaches a class in basic scientific glassblowing techniques. This class is often affectionately refered to as "Cuts and Burns 101". Before coming to UWM in 1980, Bob worked as an assistant scientific glassblower at the University of Notre Dame from 1976-1980. Very active at all levels of The American Scientific Glassblowers Society (ASGS), Bob served on the National Board of Directors of the ASGS for nearly 10 years. He also a past president of the ASGS.

Bob has presented a number of talks on glass related topics in southeast Wisconsin. He is a popular speaker in local high schools where he talks about glassblowing and other professions that support the sciences

Robert Ponton, the Scientific Glassblower at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, gave a demonstration and talk about various aspects of glass and scientific glassblowing to a large enthusiastic crowd.