Ceramic Engineering and Science: Emerging Priorities

The Conference on Emerging Priorities in Ceramic Engineer­ ing and Science, held at Alfred University, November 4-6, 1974, was arranged to provide a basis for reassessment of professional goals, procedures and outlook. American priorities among comfort, safety, national prestige, security, convenience and environmental quality are significantly different from those of a dozen years ago. Economic factors have shifted, as exempli­ fied by scarcities in energy, mate rials and world food supplies. At the same time, demands for safer products, healthier work­ ing conditions and fairer rules of behavior are making them­ selves felt. Governmental, corporate and consumer interests are all involved and they are intricately inte rrelated. Higher education, for its part, must not only respond wisely to changing student attitude, itself a part of the national scene, but must gain perspective toward the present and toward changes of yet unknown nature which can be expected in the future. Persistent and pointed questions from engineers, managers, and students were an indication to us of wide-spread concern to understand the new pattern of priorities that is presently emerging. In response to this need, Conference papers were invited from distinguished engineers, scientists, and other specialists; their willingness to contribute from their expertise and their thinking is very much appreciated by the editors. The first four chapters of the volume deal with the larger scene and with the viewpoints of those concerned with it in behalf of government, corporations and the professions.