PPG Industries  has announced the induction of four science and technology leaders as “distinguished colleagues” into the PPG Collegium. At a recent dinner, Chairman and CEO Charles E. Bunch and chief technology officer Charles F. Kahle recognized the new members’ collective and individual accomplishments and contributions to PPG’s innovations and commercial success.

“Members of the collegium personify the research, innovation and technology leadership that has transformed and recreated PPG businesses time and again,” Kahle said. “They are our R&D brain trust, inspiration and catalyst for future success. Election to the collegium is the highest honor that PPG bestows on the members of its technical community.”

Formed in 1983, the collegium is an association of PPG employees and retirees who have made key contributions to the company’s financial success through technology. Members’ achievements include product and process innovations, the creation of strong intellectual property portfolios, and business leadership that supports organic growth through research and development.

The new members are:
  Bill Blackburn, a 31-year PPG veteran with significant contributions to technologies and businesses related to automotive coatings and Transitions Optical, Inc. He is named the inventor/co-inventor on 18 granted U.S. patents. Blackburn is the 2004 recipient of the PPG President’s Award for outstanding technical achievement in recognition of his contribution on photochromic polyurethane coatings – a technology that is still widely used on Transitions products.


Jean Barjot, who retired in 2011 as director of decorative coatings systems technology for PPG’s European automotive coatings business and spent 30 years at PPG developing technologies to improve automotive coatings. Barjot was a committee member of Surcar, an international conference on automotive finishing, as well as a board member for PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes, France, the French affiliate of the joint venture between PPG and Kansai Paint.

  Hong Li, a staff scientist for PPG’s fiber glass business who counts among his significant contributions three new glass compositions developed or adapted for fiber glass commercial production in the wind power, corrosion resistance and high-performance electronics markets. Li has had more than 70 pieces published in peer-reviewed journals, and he is named in more than 20 patents and patent applications. He was recently named a fellow of the American Ceramic Society.


Dennis J. O’Shaughnessy, associate director, flat glass vacuum coatings, who joined PPG in 1988 and has continued to make significant contributions in glass technology. He was selected as a co-recipient of the PPG President’s Award for outstanding technical achievement in 2000 and 2006. The author of eight U.S. patents and pending patent applications, O’Shaughnessy also participates on the U.S. Department of Energy’s panel on organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) for solid-state lighting.