At least 2,000 people spent part of their sunny Saturday, June 9, with MRIGlobal at the Innovation Showcase, hosted by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The special event was part of the museum’s new exhibit, Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs, 1851-1939.
Inside the Bloch Gallery lobby, MRIGlobal erected a 44-foot exhibit, a panorama detailing How MRIGlobal Has Touched Your World. Nearby, a video presentation of old television commercials underscored the many roles that MRIGlobal played in the research and development of common household products through the decades. For example, MRIGlobal provided the science behind domestic innovations such as the Crock-Pot®, Folgers Coffee Crystals®, detergents, and many more items.
President and Chief Executive Officer Michael F. Helmstetter, Ph.D., delivered a fast-paced overview of MRIGlobal’s contributions to science and the community, in a special opening session in the Atkins Auditorium.
Outdoors in the East Sculpture Garden, Tom Grant, PE, Ph.D., an MRIGlobal consultant, and NREL’s Joe Verrengia demonstrated sustainable energy technologies. The hands-on displays included a mini wind turbine, solar windows, and solar power generators now in use on the battlefield.
Dozens of MRIGlobal employees volunteered their time at the various exhibit sites, answering questions and describing how MRIGlobal’s work benefits Kansas City and the world.