11/07/2014 - Caltech Interview with Professor Katherine Faber the Keynote Speaker at the Los Angeles Chapter Scholar Recognition Luncheon -  Making Hotter Engines and Lasting Artwork: An Interview with Katherine Faber.  Ceramics are extremely versatile materials. Because they can be formed into a variety of shapes and serve as effective insulators from heat, they're used in thousands of applications ranging from dainty porcelain teacups to hardy barrier coatings in engines. However, the characteristic brittle nature of ceramics can often be the material's Achilles' heel. New faculty member Katherine Faber, Simon Ramo Professor of Materials Science in Caltech's Division of Engineering and Applied Science, studies the reasons why brittle ceramics fracture—and how these materials can be made stronger and tougher in the future. - See more at: http://www.caltech.edu/content/making-hotter-engines-and-lasting-artwork-interview-katherine-faber#sthash.nKVYNEeq.dpuf