Congratulating Alfred University NYSCC for 125 Years of Ceramics Education
New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University celebrating 125 years
SOURCE: Alfred University
DATE: January 16, 2025
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Dr. William Carty of Alfred University discusses a flip shingle unit during the 2018 ACAWorkshop.
The New York State College of Ceramics (NYSCC) at Alfred University is celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2025 with a year-long calendar of special events, both on campus and at alumni meetups across the country.
Boston Valley Terra Cotta has frequently collaborated with Alfred for academic research as an affiliate of its Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology, and through our annual ACAWorkshop as a host and guide for teams of participants from the University. The NYSCC has always supported research for industry, making it an ideal partner as we work together to innovate within the field of architectural ceramics.
The Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology conducts research for both state and federal projects and provides financial support to help New York-based firms offset short-term initiatives. In daily life, we are surrounded by products that were developed at the NYSCC.
“From the glass on every Apple iPhone, to ultra-high temperature ceramics for space travel, to EnChroma color blindness correcting lenses, our faculty, staff, and alumni are making significant impacts in their fields. It is an incredibly exciting and impactful time to be an engineer,” said Gabrielle Gaustad ’04, BS Ceramic Engineering; she also serves as vice president for Statutory Affairs and associate provost for research. “The challenges facing the world today are daunting, but every single one is an opportunity for innovative solutions; engineers play a critical role in moving us forward.”
The connections with Boston Valley extend further: we have worked with ceramics sculptor and now-retired AU professor Anne Currier to fabricate her design for a tiled feature wall in the Choral Room of Alfred’s Miller Theater. The three-facet wall is covered in hundreds of RAM-pressed terra cotta tiles as a backdrop for the stage — gently sloping raised lines on their surface catch the glow from recessed lighting above.
Another project, the Alfred School of Art and Design’s McGee Pavilion, features a TerraClad® façade manufactured at our facility. Vertical louvers in a natural cream through-body color create a sunshade to help cool its interior. The context of using terra cotta on the building’s exterior makes it a symbolic feature, as the School is most well-known for its focus on clay-working (though interdisciplinary study is strongly encouraged), with students coming from far and wide to join its nationally-ranked ceramics programs.
In fact, terra cotta is the reason that Alfred, NY was originally selected as the location for the NYSCC after its founding in 1900. The town of Alfred was already rich in clay deposits, with close proximity to other clay-working manufacturers that had also taken up residence there — the Celadon Terra Cotta Company and the Alfred Clay Company.
“Clay in one form or another constitutes the great mass of modern fire-proof building material, and the larger part of general constructive material is derived from the same source,” states an early founding document from Alfred University Research and Archives (AURA). “The wisdom of locating the school at an established seat of learning and in close proximity to clay-working industries must be apparent to all!”
Boston Valley would like to congratulate the New York State College of Ceramics on this milestone anniversary in light of our shared history, and we hope it will continue to thrive into the future to the benefit of our shared industry.
