Josh Baston is an incoming senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in Materials Science and Engineering. He first got excited about metallurgy in middle school when he found out how to quench hardening homemade 1080 steel knives in his firepit. At UW-Madison, Baston researches the oxidation and deformations characteristics of high-temperature Mo-Nb alloys for their applications in aerospace. In 2022, he conducted an internship at the government truck manufacturer Oshkosh Corporation and spent summer 2023 at the Karlsruhe Institute für Technologie (KIT) in Baden-Württemberg, Germany continuing his research in refractory alloys on a German Research Foundation. Upon graduation, Baston wants to do a Ph.D. in physical metallurgy or additive manufacturing and pursue a research career in either the aerospace or energy production industries. 

Shane is a senior studying Materials Science & Engineering at Rutgers University. Shane developed a passion for materials at the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Summer Science Initiative in high school. At Rutgers, he has been an avid participant in undergraduate research and is currently studying the synthesis of ultra-high temperature ceramics. He also serves on 

the executive board of his school’s Material Advantage and Tau Beta Pi chapters. Last summer, he was a Research & Development intern at BD studying elastomer degradation. This summer, he was a Materials & Processes Engineer at Pratt & Whitney working in their X-Ray Diffraction 

laboratory. Shane is incredibly thankful to the ASM Materials Education Foundation for this award and plans to pursue a PhD in Materials Science & Engineering starting in Fall 2024. 

Jaclyn is a senior studying Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Connecticut with minors in Biology and Manufacturing. She became interested in additive manufacturing in high school when she competed in the 3D Printing Competition at UConn. Now, Jaclyn is the president of the club that hosted the event that sparked her love of Materials Science. In addition to the 3D Printing Club, she is also the president of the UConn chapter of Material Advantage and has participated in events such as Congressional Visits Day and ASM DomesDay. This past summer, Jaclyn attended the Cellular Manufacturing Technologies REU at Georgia Institute of Technology, where she studied T-cell therapies. At UConn, Jaclyn is a researcher at HueyAFM labs, a teaching assistant, and a student manager at the Innovation Zone makerspace. 

Clara is a Senior studying Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. She became interested in the field of Materials Science due to the opportunities that it presents in developing the sustainability and efficiency of products that are used in everyday life. She is also involved in the mountain bike team, as well as in research on campus. Her current research involves the development of ski base material to replace the need for temporary waxing, creating a more environmentally friendly and user-friendly product. On campus, Clara is also a teaching assistant in the MSE department, and was an intern at the Materials Characterization Lab, gaining lab and industry experience in the field. This past summer, Clara was an intern in Process Engineering Research and Development at Teva Pharmaceuticals. This opportunity enabled her to further increase her hands-on experience in materials science. Clara is extremely grateful for this opportunity that ASM has presented, and after graduation hopes to pursue a doctorate degree in Polymer Science or a related field.  

Steph is a senior studying Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Florida. Steph has a deep passion for outreach and mentoring. Steph serves as the president of the UF Material Advantage Chapter and shares professional development advice to engage members in the field. They participated in an REU at UC San Diego investigating the fast-charging behavior of iron fluoride battery cathodes and is working to improve the performance of thermoelectric materials via processing modification at the National Institute of Materials Science in Tsukuba, Japan. They also work remotely with the Coder School Berkeley in Berkeley, CA teaching data/computer science to K-12 students. Steph seeks to diversify the materials science field by planning and ideating guest speaker events, luncheons, and observance letters with the UF MSE IDEA Coalition. Steph is very grateful for the support of the ASM Materials Foundation and plans to attend graduate school next year. 

Juvenal is an upcoming senior studying Material Science Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso. Juvenal discovered his passion towards Material Science after attending the Eisenman Materials Camp online. Juvenal has acquired metallurgical experiences in various forms, including an internship at Commercial Metals Company, performing failure analysis on new ceramic matrix composite technologies for steel mills, and at ExxonMobil studying new low carbon solution approaches. Additionally, he has earned the positions of President at his university’s American Foundry Society, Treasurer of Alpha Sigma Mu Honor Society, and is an active member of the Bladesmith Team that competes at the TMS Bladesmithing Competition. Juvenal currently works on research with respect to the corrosion of High Entropy Alloys and is seeking to further his education by attending graduate school.  

Nina is a third-year Materials Science and Engineering student at McMaster University. Having lived in Hamilton, Ontario—a town dubbed Steeltown nearly her whole life—she entered this program to help green the steel industry in her hometown. To share her mission, Nina spent a year as an intern at McMaster developing curriculum and teaching first-year engineering students materials science. She currently works on green steel projects as a pyrometallurgy intern at Hatch. At McMaster, she has a strong desire to improve student life within her program. Nina thus works with McMaster’s Material Science and Engineering Society, McMaster’s Engineering Society, and McMaster’s Materials Student Technical Society. In the future, she hopes to continue to work in greening steel and help her city move toward a cleaner, more sustainable future.   

Nicole is a senior Materials Science and Engineering student at The Ohio State University. She began her materials journey after attending the ASM Education Foundation’s Eisenman Camp during her junior year of high school where she developed a great appreciation for the materials field. During her time at Ohio State, Nicole has taken on several leadership roles within and outside the university. In 2022 she served a term as a student member on ASM International’s Board of Trustees, helping to aid societal improvements through her unique student lens. Nicole has also volunteered at the ‘22 and ‘23 Eisenman Camps as a junior mentor. Currently, Nicole is working as an undergraduate research assistant at the Center for Accelerated Material Maturation, focusing on high entropy alloy development. In the fall, she will start her term as President of the Materials Science and Engineering Club at Ohio State. Nicole is very appreciative of Acta Materialia and the ASM Education Foundation for providing her with not only an introduction to the materials world but also the tools and opportunities to succeed in her future academic pursuits.  

Jakob is entering his junior year studying materials science and engineering at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He knew he wanted to study materials science in high school because of his interests in physics, chemistry and engineering. In his college career so far, Jakob has conducted research on carbon quantum dots, activated carbon and supercapacitors at UTK’s Center for Renewable Carbon and interned at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he worked on lithium-ion battery recycling. He also enjoys his involvement in Material Advantage and is incredibly grateful for the generosity of the ASM Materials Foundation. After graduation, Jakob plans to pursue graduate studies of materials for energy storage and sustainability.  

Madison is a senior who studies Welding and Metallurgy Engineering at Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan. Madison was first interested in materials after completing her associate degree in Welding Technology at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor Michigan. She is active in ASM and attends monthly meetings. Madison is also involved in the American Welding Society (AWS) and a part of the AWS Student Chapter at Wayne State University. She is growing her knowledge of metallurgy by working as a Lab Technician for Element, a Metallurgical Laboratory. Here she is gaining experience with metals, plastics, and microchips. Madison is incredibly grateful to ASM for their generosity in helping her and other students alleviate the cost of higher education. 

Mary England will be entering her third year of McMaster University’s Materials and Biomedical Engineering program this coming September. She is an active member of the Materials Society, committed to giving back to the faculty by aiding in the organization and execution of events. Her love for Materials has evolved through her research efforts within the department at McMaster University. Mary also has a passion for humanitarianism, where she is an avid volunteer for Covenant House, a non-profit organization committed to helping homeless, trafficked and at-risk youth. She organizes food drives, and fundraisers, and held the first-ever McMaster Covenant House Sleep Out, allowing students to stand in solidarity with these youth. In the future, she hopes to research and design products that will help people improve their health and live a better quality of life. 

Ashlie, a first-generation student, is embarking on her fifth year of studies in the Materials Science and Engineering program at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities (UMN). Her journey into the fascinating world of Materials Science began with a transformative REU experience at the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign. Eager to make a meaningful impact, she dedicated her time as one of the ASM International Student Board Members during the 2022-2023 term and now holds a director position on the MN-ASM International chapter’s executive committee. With a desire to promote diversity in the Materials Science field, Ashlie actively engages in the UMN Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (CEMS) Outreach group. She also assumes the role of project officer in her university’s Material Advantage program. She is profoundly grateful for the unwavering support and numerous opportunities provided by the ASM Materials Education Foundation and ASM International. Looking ahead, Ashlie envisions a career in the medical industry, eager to contribute her expertise and passion to this vital field upon graduation. 

Irenaeus is a Materials Science & Engineering student passionate about applying emerging computational technology and AI to the sustainable development space. He is currently working to drive the widespread adoption of renewable energy and “net zero” for high-emitting industries through his work as a materials engineer. Last summer, Irenaeus completed an internship in Tokyo, Japan where he helped develop novel materials for sustainable grid-scale thermal energy storage. In the last 12 months, he completed 3 internships in Silicon Valley where he developed computer vision and cloud-based computing technology for photovoltaics at GAF Energy and Tesla, then accelerated manufacturing, materials design, and new product integration automation of lithium ion batteries at Rivian Automotive. The support of ASM made his experiential learning with materials science AI possible, and he hopes to continue contributing to materials product design for sustainable energy and manufacturing across the globe into the future. 

Andrew is a junior studying Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at The University of Alabama. Through this program, he has become fascinated with materials science, metallurgy, and computational avenues as well. Andrew started undergraduate research this past summer studying the oxidation resistance of complex concentrated alloys, refractory metals, high entropy alloys for hypersonic applications, and thermodynamic modeling of materials. In addition, Andrew is a third-year member of the University of Alabama Million Dollar Band where he plays the marimba alongside his academic studies. Andrew is immensely grateful for the generosity of Ms. Beverly Dulis and the ASM Materials Foundation, and after graduation, he plans to complete an accelerated master’s program at The University of Alabama and possibly graduate school in the future.

Adam is a rising senior studying Materials Science and Engineering in the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State University. Adam’s interest in chemistry was transformed into a fascination with the field of materials science in high school after spending a summer working in a graduate lab at Carnegie Mellon University researching graphene nanomaterials. He carried this interest in nanomaterials to Penn State, where he currently works under Dr. Joshua Robinson researching TMD remote epitaxy growth through graphene thin films. Outside of school, Adam is a member of the Penn State chapters of the Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Co-Ed Business Fraternity and completed a summer internship working in electronics engineering at Northrop Grumman. After graduation, he plans to spend a few years working in industry before returning to school to pursue a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering.