September 22, 2014
Physics lecture to discuss aluminum growth opportunity in the auto industry Sept. 25
Kay Meggers, global president of Global Rolled Products and vice president of Alcoa, will present the fall 2014 James R. Neff Lecture in Physics, at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, in McVay Town Hall of the Leadership Studies Building.
Meggers' lecture, "Driving Profitable Growth with Aluminum Flat Rolled Products," will not be of a technical level and is geared toward the general public.
Meggers will speak about how the historic shift to light weighting in the automotive industry presents a unique growth opportunity for the miracle metal aluminum. He will describe the drivers of this shift and how Alcoa's flat rolled products business capitalizes on it to create value for Alcoa's shareholders, as well as how education in physics helped to prepare him for his business endeavor.
Meggers is responsible for Alcoa's global mill products and rigid packaging businesses. He also oversees the China rolled products businesses, and Alcoa's operations in Russia. Kay was elected a vice president of Alcoa in June 2011 and is a member of the Alcoa Executive Council, the company's senior leadership group that sets strategic direction.
Kay received a diploma in physics in 1991 from the Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany. In 1995 after extensive research in applied nuclear physics and materials science, including at the U.S. National Laboratories in Los Alamos, New Mexico, he earned his doctorate degree also from the Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel.
The lecture is open to the public and is free of charge. Students, faculty and community members are encouraged to attend to hear about his research.
Refreshments will be served prior to the lecture at 4 p.m. in 123 Leadership Studies Building.
This lecture series is supported by an endowment from James R. Neff in honor of his parents, Everett and Florine Neff.