Jocelyn is an upcoming junior studying Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a minor in Honors Leadership Studies. She spent the summer of 2023 studying the relationships between biofiber flow properties and their PLA-biocomposite mechanical strength at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Tennessee. In Summer 2024, she completed an internship at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne, Germany focusing on the development of a glass fiber-reinforced lunar regolith composite. Jocelyn is the Travel Chair for her university’s Material Advantage club and is a freshman mentor for the Society of Women Engineers. After graduation, Jocelyn plans to obtain a Ph.D. focusing on composites to pursue a professor position and research career at a university. 

Jackson Hollenbaugh is a senior majoring in Materials Science and Engineering at Purdue University. He is a member of Purdue University Material Advantage where he will be the Professional Development Chair this coming academic year. Jackson has completed two summer internships with Steel Dynamics Inc. and hopes to use this experience to gain a career in the Steel Industry. This past summer, Jackson attended AISTech to speak at a panel discussing University-Industry relationships in the Steel industry where he discussed the importance of industry scholarships and internships to help drive up the interest of careers in the steel industry. Outside of Materials Science, Jackson participates in Purdue Bands and Orchestras where he plays trombone, and he enjoys playing recreational tennis with his friends. 

Jesse is a currently a senior at Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, Majoring in Welding and Metallurgical Engineering and taking courses towards a Masters in Alternative Engineering Technology. Jesse Plans to pursue a doctorate in Material Science Engineering. Jesse comes from a low-income background and would not be able to pursue his passion for science if it were not for generous scholarship opportunities. Jesse is the Vice President of Wayne State University’s Welding and Metallurgical Engineering student organization; an organization whose goal is to create a pipeline of trade school students into its bachelor’s program to embolden and provide a form of social mobility for those in southeast Michigan communities. Jesse has an artistic background and his passion for material science grew from blacksmithing, blade smithing, and silver smithing for an ornamental fabrication shop.  

Emma Sampey is a rising junior at Purdue University majoring in Material Science and Engineering (MSE). She became interested in MSE through the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) Program at Purdue, where she joined the MSE Bronze Team. Emma has led multidisciplinary teams through this program and has delivered projects to the Lafayette and West Lafayette communities. Since May 2023, Emma has worked at Caterpillar as a Parallel Co-Op. Through Caterpillar, she has volunteered for the ASM Materials Camp hosted by the Peoria ASM Chapter, which provides high school students with hands-on learning for MSE careers and education. Emma has been a part of the American Foundry Society (AFS) Purdue Chapter since 2023, and looks forward to working as the Social Media Chair starting in Fall 2024.

Rose is an upcoming senior at the University of Pittsburgh studying Materials Science and Engineering. She got very interested in Materials Science and Engineering in the 10th grade of High School by researching different fields. Rose was fortunate enough to attend Lehigh University’s Summer Engineering Institute which was a two-week program that involved learning about different fields of engineering. To get a certification of this program, Rose was a part of a team of five individuals from other schools, who all had to create, or improve, a product and then present it. This was a “Shark Tank” project. Her team chose to research Exoskeletons and they placed third out of ten teams. Rose is currently a co-op at Westinghouse Electric Company where she is involved in a variety of different work depending on the needs of the engineers. She would like to pursue a Master’s Degree in Materials Science and Engineering while working full-time at her place of hire after graduation.

Kara is a senior finishing her BSc. in Materials Engineering, Co-op program, at the University of Alberta. She discovered her love of materials science and engineering in high school through her interest in chemistry and various handcrafts. In 2022, she received an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award toward an internship in fiber composite and additive manufacturing research at the U of A. In 2023, she worked developing high-performance anode materials at Nanode Battery Technologies. During this time she was also the VP of External Communication for the U of A Materials Engineering Student Society. In 2024, she will complete her final co-op term conducting material failure analysis at ATCO, a natural gas utility company, and is excited to be co-leading the U of A Materials Engineering Bladesmithing team for 2024/25. 

Charles Santore is an incoming junior majoring in Materials Science and Engineering at Rutgers University – New Brunswick. He learned about MSE during his first semester at Rutgers, and quickly became passionate about the field. As a freshman, he began researching boron carbide composites for military armor applications, later focusing on diboride composites for hypersonic flight applications. His ongoing senior lab project involves the arc melting and sintering of ZrB2-HfB2 composites. This summer, he is interning in a metallography lab through Universal Technical Resource Services. Outside of the classroom, he remains involved with the Rutgers MSE community, serving as the Vice President of Rutgers’ Material Advantage 

Chapter. Upon graduation, Santore would like to earn a Master’s Degree in Materials Science and Engineering and pursue a career in the aerospace or energy industries

Annalee Johnson is an incoming sophomore at the University of Utah majoring in Metallurgical Engineering and considering an emphasis in nuclear energy. Her interests in metallurgy and materials science stem from the composite materials technical certification which she earned concurrently with her high school diploma. During her first year in college, Annalee worked on the F-35 Travel Pod as a composite technician. Her employment in the aerospace industry as a composite technician gave her valuable experience. This experience has been further enhanced by the lab position she was able to secure through the ACCESS Scholars program. She continues to support that program, volunteering to mentor future ACCESS Scholars participants.  She has recently joined Dr.  Micheal F. Simpson’s Nuclear Pyrometallurgy Laboratory and has been offered an undergraduate researcher position.

Sarah (she/her) is entering her fifth year of the Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences program at McMaster University, where she is specializing in Materials and Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Medical and Biological Physics. She admires the interdisciplinary nature of materials engineering and loves the vast array of applications it entails. Sarah strives to share her passion for materials engineering with others, as the VP Engagement and Past President of the Materials Engineering Society, an iBioMed Ambassador, and a tutor for core materials courses. She is a strong advocate for inclusivity, with executive positions on EngiQueers and the LGBTQ+ Athletic Advocacy Group. In addition to her work in the classroom, Sarah is the captain of the McMaster varsity rowing team. This past summer, Sarah completed a co-op at Elarex, a local startup company that works on vaccine stabilization technologies. 

Ryan McGinnis is a junior at the Colorado School of Mines studying Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. Ryan’s interest in materials was sparked at age seven when he started forging with his grandfather. To spark others’ interest in materials, Ryan heads the outreach efforts for the university’s Materials Advantage chapter and is a teaching assistant for the bladesmithing and first-year seminar classes. He also performs research at Mines on ceramic catalyst supports for hydrogen production. During the summer of 2022 and 2023, Ryan worked at ASM International and spent time supporting and leading projects including automatic micrograph feature detection. This past summer, Ryan interned with the Technical Services Department at SSAB Iowa. After completion of his undergraduate degree, Ryan plans to attend graduate school and continue pursuing his research interests and materials outreach.

Maria Mercedes is a senior student of Materials Engineering at the Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia, specializing in Steelmaking and Welding. She participated in the Cast in Steel 2024 competition by manufacturing a Halligan Bar, demonstrating her skill and passion for steel fabrication. Additionally, Maria Mercedes has completed various summer research internships, and this year she is undertaking an industry summer internship, which has allowed her to gain practical experience and strengthen her theoretical knowledge. Throughout her academic tenure, she has taken various courses and training sessions, which have expanded her skills and competencies in her field. She has actively participated in conferences such as CONAC and in project fairs at her university, where she has presented her research and projects, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in her area. Her dedication and commitment to Materials Engineering have made her a prominent figure within her academic community.