The Institute for Physical Research and Technology at Iowa State will begin celebrating its 10th anniversary today with an open house.

“We’re having an open house and we would like to have everyone come,” said Connie Conners, IPRT director’s assistant. “I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”

The open house will be held in Room 115 of the Office and Lab Building from 1 to 4 p.m.

The celebration will include refreshments, displays and prizes, as well as slide and video presentations.

A short program will begin at 2:30 p.m., featuring former Research & Development 100 Award winners. R & D 100 Awards recognize top researchers each year.

ISU is second only to MIT among academic institutions winning these awards, and IPRT scientists or centers played a role in 16 of 18 ISU awards.

“We’ll have as short a formal ceremony as we can,” said Joel Snow, IPRT director. “You know how people like to talk at things like this.”

He said he expects to introduce the first director of the Airworthiness Assurance Center for Excellence, the 11th and newest addition to IPRT.

The open house also will feature displays, continuous eats and a lot of good conversation, Snow said.

Snow said he hopes Robert Hansen, the first director or IPRT and second director of Ames Lab, will attend the open house.

Since its formal beginning on July 1, 1987, IPRT has encouraged development of research and facilitated interactions that make technical problem-solving expertise available to industry.

“We do all kinds of research from air safety to biomass, microelectronics, better things for the environment, just all kinds of things,” Conners said.

Of IPRT’s 11 research centers, Ames Lab is still the largest, Snow said. Many ISU students have gained practical work experience there before graduation, he said.

“In fact, as of August ’97, ISU had given over 1,000 master’s degrees and over 1,500 Ph.D. degrees based on research performed at Ames Laboratory,” Snow said.

Snow became director in 1993. At that time, there were many programs just getting started that have really proven effective, Snow said.

IPRT has also extended its outreach activity and technical assistance to Iowa companies and carries out first-class research programs, Snow said.

“Our first goal is survivability,” Snow said. “We’ve been doing a good job and we want to continue doing a good job.”

IPRT plans “to continue to seek out creative ideas for new ways that science and engineering can serve society,” Snow said.

The institute is planning a series of anniversary activities in the spring, including lectures, forums and events, Snow said.

He said he hopes to have Darlene Hoffman, winner of the National Medal of Science, speak next spring.

Hoffman started at ISU in the family and consumer sciences area, became a chemist, did her Ph.D. work at Ames Lab and now holds the nation’s highest science award, Snow said.

“She’s quite a lady,” he said.