UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has named Corning Inc., one of the world's leading innovators in materials science, as its 2022 Corporate Partner of the Year. The annual award celebrates corporate partners that have demonstrated exceptional commitment in the promotion and support of Penn State, have excellent track records of philanthropy and research, and actively engage Penn State students and alumni in the workplace and the classroom.
“Over more than 75 years, Corning has built a relationship with Penn State founded on our organizations’ shared commitment to innovation and excellence,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “Penn State is an international leader in materials science education and research, and Corning is likewise at the cutting edge in developing and producing advanced materials. Working together, we are making exciting strides forward, advancing progress in a wide range of industries, especially the technology sector, and preparing students for leadership in the field. I am grateful for Corning’s generosity and vision, and I look forward to seeing where this partnership takes us in the coming years.”
Corning’s relationship with Penn State started in 1943, when the company became a member of Glass Science Inc., an early industry-university cooperative. Over the years, that relationship has grown to encompass research support, philanthropic giving and student recruitment. In the past five years, Corning has sponsored 23 research projects worth more than $2.27 million, helped build state-of-the-art shared-use facilities, supported three full-time graduate student fellowships in glass science, and joined two Penn State research centers.
The company also has supported multiple departments across the sciences and engineering. For 10 years, Corning has maintained a master research agreement with Penn State, which streamlines the research sponsorship process and allows projects to come to fruition quicker. Corning also has established particularly strong ties with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, home to the Corning Faculty Fellowship in Materials Science and Engineering, and with the Materials Research Institute (MRI), where Corning holds a seat on its Industry Advisory Board. The company’s deep connections also extend to the College of Engineering, where it regularly sponsors Learning Factory student capstone projects.
“Corning has been an important long-term partner for MRI and Penn State, and it really is a holistic relationship,” said MRI Director Clive Randall. “Because of the strong synergy between Corning’s and MRI’s strategic research efforts in electronics and infrastructure, our faculty are natural partners for them. Many of our students have had long careers at Corning and continue to benefit the company within their leadership roles. There is also the research culture aspect: Corning partnered with MRI and several academic departments at Penn State to raise their safety practices and is a major sponsor of our annual Safety Olympics competition. I am so pleased to see the leadership of Penn State honor Corning with the Corporate Partner of the Year award.”
Corning regularly recruits at Penn State, and as many as 240 alumni are currently employed with the company. Corning has pioneered a new type of university-corporation relationship, becoming the first participant in the Penn State Visiting Industry Representative program. Through this program, a Corning scientist spends about 50% of their time on the University Park campus, attending symposia, meeting with faculty, making use of shared facilities, and engaging with students. Currently, Penn State alumnus and Corning Senior Research Associate Nicholas Smith holds this position.
“By recognizing Corning with this award, Penn State is celebrating the strength of our partnership, from research to training the next generation of material scientists and engineers,” said Lora Weiss, Penn State’s senior vice president for research. “The advances that we are making together have potential for tremendous impact. We anticipate new and strengthened collaborations with Corning in areas such as product-lifecycle management and next-generation communications technologies. I look forward to being immersed in this partnership and seeing the developments that result as we enrich our students’ experiences.”
“Both Corning and Penn State recognize the importance of ongoing collaboration between academia and industry and educating students on next-generation technologies,” said Corning Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Jaymin Amin. “Penn State has been a great partner to us for nearly eight decades, and we look forward to extending our collaboration as we continue our commitment to creating life-changing innovations.”
Previous Penn State Corporate Partners of the Year include the Giant Co., Erie Insurance, Ernst & Young, Schlumberger, AB Volvo, United Technologies Corp., General Electric, Chevron, Toshiba/Westinghouse, Dow Chemical, Boeing, Highmark, PNC, Barnes & Noble, Lockheed Martin, and Bank of America.
With the record-breaking success of “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” which raised $2.2 billion from 2016 to 2022, philanthropy is helping to sustain the University’s tradition of education, research and service to communities across the commonwealth and around the globe. Scholarships enable our institution to open doors and welcome students from every background, support for transformative experiences allows our students and faculty to fulfill their vast potential for leadership, and gifts toward discovery and excellence help us to serve and impact the world we share. To learn more about the impact of giving and the continuing need for support, visit raise.psu.edu.
About Corning Inc.
Corning is one of the world's leading innovators in materials science, with a more than 170-year track record of life-changing inventions. Corning applies its unparalleled expertise in glass science, ceramic science and optical physics along with its deep manufacturing and engineering capabilities to develop category-defining products that transform industries and enhance people’s lives. Corning succeeds through sustained investment in RD&E (research, development and engineering), a unique combination of material and process innovation, and deep, trust-based relationships with customers who are global leaders in their industries. Corning's capabilities are versatile and synergistic, which allows the company to evolve to meet changing market needs, while also helping its customers capture new opportunities in dynamic industries. Today, Corning's markets include optical communications, mobile consumer electronics, display, automotive, solar, semiconductors and life sciences.