October 4, 2007 (Arlington, Va.) — The paper “Hybrid Pultruded Plank with a Concrete Compression Flange for Pedestrian Bridges” garnered University of Wisconsin-Madison student Bryan V. Bindrich the prestigious 2007 Gary B. Multanen/Composites Manufacturing magazine scholarship. Bindrich will provide a poster session of his research at Composites Manufacturing (CM) magazine’s booth #935 on Wednesday, October 17, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m at COMPOSITES & POLYCON 2007 in Tampa, Fla.

“Both the quality of his paper and the thoroughness of his research and testing were quite remarkable for an undergraduate student,” said Larry Cox, Associate Director, Education and Technical Services, who was one of three judges for this annual scholarship program. “Bindrich’s research demonstrates that hybrid panels composed of commercially available pultruded plank and normal weight concrete produced results similar to that of traditional timber decking. With further research to improve plank design and to prove increased lifespan over traditional materials, the durable hybrid panel could become a viable alternative to building lightweight vehicle and pedestrian bridges.”

Also serving as judges for this scholarship were James G. Vaughan, Ph.D., F.A.P. Barnard Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean and Director of the Composite Materials Research Group (CMRG) at the University of Mississippi’s School of Engineering, and Ellen Lackey, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Mississippi.

Bindrich completed his paper just prior to graduating from University of Wisconsin-Madison this past spring. He currently is a full-time graduate student at the University of Texas-Austin.

The scholarship is named after Gary Multanen, a two-time past president and founding father of the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA). Composites Manufacturing is one of two magazines published by the ACMA. Bindrich’s research is featured in the October issue of CM, which will be distributed at COMPOSITES & POLYCON 2007. He also will receive a $1,000 check presented by ACMA’s board of directors.

Press Release

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Contact:	Elizabeth Ricks ACMA 703-682-1660 ericks@acmanet.org
University of Wisconsin-Madison Student Bryan V. Bindrich Receives Gary B. Multanen/Composites Manufacturing Magazine Scholarship
October 4, 2007 (Arlington, Va.) — The paper “Hybrid Pultruded Plank with a Concrete Compression Flange for Pedestrian Bridges” garnered University of Wisconsin-Madison student Bryan V. Bindrich the prestigious 2007 Gary B. Multanen/Composites Manufacturing magazine scholarship. Bindrich will provide a poster session of his research at Composites Manufacturing (CM) magazine’s booth #935 on Wednesday, October 17, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m at COMPOSITES & POLYCON 2007 in Tampa, Fla. “Both the quality of his paper and the thoroughness of his research and testing were quite remarkable for an undergraduate student,” said Larry Cox, Associate Director, Education and Technical Services, who was one of three judges for this annual scholarship program. “Bindrich’s research demonstrates that hybrid panels composed of commercially available pultruded plank and normal weight concrete produced results similar to that of traditional timber decking. With further research to improve plank design and to prove increased lifespan over traditional materials, the durable hybrid panel could become a viable alternative to building lightweight vehicle and pedestrian bridges.” Also serving as judges for this scholarship were James G. Vaughan, Ph.D., F.A.P. Barnard Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean and Director of the Composite Materials Research Group (CMRG) at the University of Mississippi’s School of Engineering, and Ellen Lackey, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Mississippi. Bindrich completed his paper just prior to graduating from University of Wisconsin-Madison this past spring. He currently is a full-time graduate student at the University of Texas-Austin. The scholarship is named after Gary Multanen, a two-time past president and founding father of the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA). Composites Manufacturing is one of two magazines published by the ACMA. Bindrich’s research is featured in the October issue of CM, which will be distributed at COMPOSITES & POLYCON 2007. He also will receive a $1,000 check presented by ACMA’s board of directors.

With more than 850 member companies, The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) is the world’s largest trade group representing the composites industry. ACMA publishes a monthly magazine, Composites Manufacturing, offers a universal, comprehensive training program for fabricators - Certified Composites Technician - and provides strong, proactive leadership in technical, government and regulatory affairs. In addition, ACMA hosts the largest tradeshow in North America with supplier and fabricator representatives from all market segments. For membership information, call 703.525.0511, or email:Info@acmanet.org. Visit ACMA’s website at www.ACMAnet.org