The Edward Orton Jr. Memorial Lecture is one of the highest international honors in the field of ceramics and materials science. It is named after Edward Orton, Jr. – a pioneer in ceramic research and founder of the American Ceramic Society. The lecture is awarded annually to individuals who have significantly advanced ceramic research through outstanding scientific achievements and international influence. Traditionally, the honor is accompanied by an invited lecture delivered to an international audience of experts. In his lecture, Prof. Michaelis highlighted the importance of high-performance ceramics for the energy transition and decarbonization.

With this award, ACerS honors Prof. Michaelis as an internationally recognized materials scientist and research leader, highlighting his innovative work at the interface of materials and systems – from research through to industrial application.

Prof. Alexander Michaelis has been Institute Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS since 2004 and is also Professor of Inorganic Non-Metallic Materials at the Technical University of Dresden. Under his leadership, Fraunhofer IKTS has developed into one of the largest ceramics research institutes worldwide – with more than 800 employees today and an annual budget of around €100 million.