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MSE department news

Watts News

View the department's newsletter and keep up on the accomplishments of our students, faculty, and alumni. Requires PDF viewer such as Adobe Acrobat to view.

MSE Day & scholarship competition winners

Friday, May 2, 2008 the MSE department hosted high school sophomores and juniors and their parents for our annual MSE Day, a time of introduction and exploration of the field of materials. Our guests received an overview of the major, its specializations, and information on job prospects. Following this introduction the students rotated through a series of brief demonstrations that highlighted an important materials concept.

Following the demonstrations, our guests took part in a scholarship competition. The students answered essay questions on materials related topics such as "How has materials science and engineering helped or advanced your favorite hobby or pastime?" The essays were read by various MSE department personnel and ranked according to creativity, communication, and application of basic materials knowledge.

MSE Day 2008: MSE Senior Justin Bennett explains shape-memory alloy to our MSE Day guests. Other demonstration tables included superconductivity levitation, desktop electron microscopy, make-your-own polymers. Each demo is designed to showcase an important aspect of the broad field of Materials Science.

Congratulations to our MSE Day 2008 Essay Scholarship Winners, Laura G. and Greg V. Each are recipients of a $1000 MSE departmental scholarship!

Congratulations to our Juniors and Seniors!

Our Seniors, pictured below, and many of our Juniors were recently honored at the ASM Spring Student Awards Night, sponsored by the joint Columbus chapters of ASM and TMS. Each year the group hosts outstanding students from Ohio State's MSE department and Hocking College's department of Industrial Ceramics Technology. Following dinner, MSE senior Matthew Chalker presented an overview of his experiences as a Materials Science and Engineering major as it relates to his B.A. degree in Art History. Matt showed how art conservationists also use materials science equipment and techniques in their field. Matt will attend the University of Melbourne, Australia, to pursue his master's degree in the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, focusing on the conservation of Aboriginal and Maori artifacts.

The evening concluded with recognition, thanks, and awards to officers, members, and scholars from the various organizations. Six OSU students each received special recognition and a $200 award for their outstanding scholarship and contributions to the Materials Science and Engineering department.

L-R: back row: Matt Stuck, Eric Sher, Caesar Buie, Kent Pullins, Mitch Bruns, Usiosefe Aimiuwu third row: Zach Brown, Ally Stahl, Adam Dyer, Mike Baughman, Zack Warchol, Mike Gram second row Melissa Walker, Libby Brannon, Karen Domas, Beau Billet, Matt Chalker, Tyler Rolfes front row: Katie Sherer, Katrina Altman, Abby McKain, Leslie Andrews, Sarah Bertke, Jessica Wolever, Nat Sheppard (Not present: Tim Wysong) Photo by Geoff Hulse

 

Chair Rudy Buchheit and Katrina Altman

 

George St. Pierre and Sarah Bertke

The Department Chair's Award - Katrina Altman
To the outstanding senior scholar in the Materials Science and Engineering Program.

Mars G. Fontana Award - Tyler Rolfes
To the outstanding senior scholar conducting research in metallurgy.

Alan J. Markworth Memorial Award - Jessica Wolever
To the student who best reflects the personal and professional talents of Professor Markworth.

George St. Pierre Award - Sarah Bertke
For scholarship and professional activities in the MSE department.

ASM/TMS Chapter's Ernie W. Christin Award - Kent Pullins
For the student who best demonstrates how industrial experience has influenced his or her educational development.

Outstanding Junior Scholar - Greg Ebersole
Recognizing an outstanding junior student.

Foundry Educational Foundation Scholarship Recipients (awarded earlier this year)

Juniors
Daniel Owsley
Evan Standish
Craig Vanderbilt

 

Sophomore
Daniel Campbell

Recognition of Department Scholars

Juniors
Those holding a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 and an MSE department grade point average of 3.2.

Kazuhiro Chisaka
Gregory Ebersole
David Gross
Meredith Herzog
Amanda Lorenz
Olivia Rumpke

 

Matthew Snider
John Sosa
Evan Standish
Caitlin Toohey
Ryan Vitale

Seniors
Those holding a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and an MSE department grade point average of 3.0

Katrina Altman
Michael Baughman
Sarah Bertke
Beau Billet
Elizabeth Brannon
Caesar Buie
Matthew Chalker
Karen Domas
Michael Gram

 

Kent Pullins
Tyler Rolfes
Nathaniel Sheppard
Kathleen Sherer
Allyson Stahl
Melissa Walker
Zachary Warchol
Jessica Wolever

MSE Club Officers 2007-2008
Thank you for your service!

Zack Warchol, President
Abby McKain, Vice President
Sarah Bertke, Treasurer
Leslie Andrews, Secretary

 

MSE students receive awards at 2008 Women in Engineering annual banquet

Congratulations to the following MSE undergraduates who were recognized at the 2008 Women in Engineering banquet on February 20, 2008:

L-R: standing: Elizabeth Martin, Sarah Bertke, Katrina Altman, Stacey Vansickle, Tiffany Ngan, Olivia Rumpke seated: Karen Domas, Jessica Wolever, Katie Sherer

First-year Certificate of Achievement

Yifan Jiang
Tiffany Ngan
Jacqueline Ohmura

Outstanding Academic Award - $250 sponsored prize

Sarah Bertke - Caterpillar, Inc.
Karen Domas - Honda R&D
Elizabeth Martin - EWI
Olivia Rumpke - Cummins
Katie Sherer - Northrop Grumman
Stacey Vansickle - ArcelorMittal
Jessica Wolever - ArcelorMittal

Top Academic Award - $2000 sponsored prize

Katrina Altman - ArcelorMittal

 

The passing of two dear friends, Chuck Morin and Franklin Beck

The MSE family is mourning the loss of two dear friends, Chuck Morin and Franklin Beck.

On February 2, 2008 Charles "Chuck" Morin died peacefully at his home in Aurora, IL. Born in 1947 in Burlington, VT, Chuck attended OSU where he met his wife, Beth, whom he married 1968. He earned both his BS and MS degrees in Metallurgical Engineering at OSU and went on to hold a number of key positions in industry. [view text of obituary]

On February 20, 2008 Dr. Franklin H. Beck Sr. passed away in Columbus, OH. Franklin is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Jean C. Beck, as well as many children and grandchildren. He served the MSE department for many years, being widely known for his work and publications on the topic of corrosion. [view text of obituary]

 

Welcome (back) Dr. Heather Powell!

Dr. Heather Powell

Dr. Heather Powell, a new Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, conducts research on biomaterials for tissue regeneration. Prior to her arrival at Ohio State, Powell was a post-doctoral research fellow at the Shriners Hospitals for Children where she performed research on human bioengineered skin. She received her doctorate in MSE from The Ohio State University in 2004.

Dr. Powell's research interests include biomaterials, tissue engineering and biomechanics. Her research utilizes principles of materials science, polymer chemistry, cellular and molecular biology, and genetic engineering to generate materials/devices that can be utilized to replace, restore or improve the function of diseased or damaged tissues. In tissue engineering, cells are commonly combined with a scaffold of native or synthetic origin to guide cellular organization and differentiation while providing mechanical strength and integrity. The current generation of scaffolds does not possess all of the necessary properties to replicate the native tissue. Dr. Powell utilizes biomimetic and biomechanical strategies to generate scaffolds which can provide the optimal balance of mechanical properties and biological function. [Go to Dr. Powell's faculty bio page]

 

Welcome Dr. J.-C. Zhao!

Dr. Ji-Cheng (J.-C.) Zhao

The MSE department welcomes Dr. Ji-Cheng (J.-C.) Zhao to the faculty! Dr. Zhao was a materials scientist and project/team leader at GE Global Research in Niskayuna, NY, where he had worked since 1995 when he obtained his PhD degree in materials science and engineering from Lehigh University. His research focused phase diagrams, thermodynamics, diffusion, design of advanced alloys and coatings for jet engines, and hydrogen storage materials. In addition to many materials innovations, he has developed a diffusion-multiple approach for accelerated materials discovery and development. J.-C. has received several honors including the Geisler Award from ASM International, the Hull Award from GE Global Research, and was elected a Fellow of ASM International in 2003. He has published about 65 papers and edited/co-edited two books and two theme issues of MRS Bulletin. He also holds 36 US patents with 26 more pending. J.-C. serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Phase Equilibria and Diffusion and on the Editorial Board of Advanced Engineering Materials. He was one of the four 2006 Volume Organizers of MRS Bulletin and will be one of the four Meeting Chairs for the MRS Fall Meeting in 2009. His innovations were featured in news, covers, and a cover story in Nature, C&E News, MRS Bulletin, and Advanced Engineering Materials. [view faculty bio page]


 

2007

Welcome Dr. Jianjun Guan!

Dr. Jianjun Guan

The MSE department welcomes the arrival of Dr. Jianjun Guan, the department's newest faculty member. Dr. Guan will join the faculty in October, 2007 as an assistant professor in biomaterials. Prior to his arrival, Dr. Guan served as a Research Assistant Professor in the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. He joined the University of Pittsburgh in September 2000 as a postdoctoral fellow after he received his PhD in Chemistry (Polymer Chemistry and Physics) from Zhejiang University, China. He was then promoted to Research Associate and Research Assistant Professor. He has been in the biomaterials and tissue engineering fields for ten years. In recent years he has been working on cardiovascular tissue engineering aiming to engineer cardiac tissue and blood vessels.

Dr. Guan's future research will focus on the engineering of biomaterials for soft and hard tissue regeneration. His research interests include: development of biomimetic, biodegradable and elastomeric biomaterials possessing robust mechanical properties; design and processing 3-D nano-structured scaffolds with structures and properties mimicking target tissues; controlled release of biomacromolecules; development of tissue constructs with primary or stem cells for engineering of soft and hard tissues such as cardiac patch, blood vessel, adipose tissue and bone.

Dr. Guan is a member of Society for Biomaterials. He has published 29 peer-reviewed articles, authored and co-authored over 50 presentations and two book chapters. He has two granted patents and four filed patent applications. He is a co-author of a presentation won "Top 5 Hot Talks" in 2005 Materials Research Society Fall Meeting.

[Go to Dr. Guan's faculty bio page.]

ASM Teachers Materials Camp

Master High School Teacher Andy Nydam explains a demo to high school teachers.

For the second year a 5-day Materials Science Camp for high school teachers will be hosted by the Ohio State University, July 30-August 3. The camp provides hands-on laboratory experiences to assist teachers to use applied engineering techniques in the classroom. Participating teachers will leave with a comprehensive series of low/no cost laboratory demonstrations in applied science to use in chemistry, physics, math, technology, and industrial arts in their schools. The curriculum is presented by a team of experienced "master high school teachers," OSU Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) professors, and industrial experts. The camp is sponsored by ASM Materials Education Foundation, the ASM Columbus Chapter, and The Ohio State University Department of MSE.

 

Congratulations Nitin Padture!

Professor Nitin Padture has been awarded an ACerS 2007 Richard M. Fulrath Award. The Richard M. Fulrath Award is presented to outstanding academics and industrial ceramic engineers/scientists who are 45 years of age or younger.

The Fulrath Award is meant to honorably promote technical and personal friendships between Japanese and American professional ceramic engineers/scientists and encourage understanding among the diverse cultures surrounding the Pacific Rim. The awardee will attend the annual meeting of the Ceramic Society of Japan the following year and present a paper at that meeting. While in Japan, the awardee also is expected to visit universities and industrial laboratories and present seminars as arranged by members of the Japanese Fulrath Memorial Association Committee.

Nitin is being honored for outstanding contributions to the field of advanced ceramics and nanomaterials, and will be giving a lecture entitled "Novel Concepts in 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D Functional and Structural Nanoceramics: Nanowires, Nanotubes, Thin Films, and Nanocomposites." If you are attending MS&T in September, be sure to put this presentation on your schedule.

Congratulations, Nitin!

 

MSE Day & scholarship competition winners

MSE undergraduates (l-r) Brad Meibers, Justine Mahler, Adam Dyer, Justin Bennett, and Caesar Buie talk with our guests about life as a student in MSE at Ohio State.

Friday, May 4, 2007 the MSE department hosted 35 high school sophomores and juniors for our annual MSE Day, a time of introduction and exploration of the field of materials. Our guests received an overview of the major, its specializations, and information on job prospects. Following this introduction the students rotated through a series of brief demonstrations that highlighted an important materials concept.

Following the demonstrations, our guests took part in a scholarship competition. The students answered essay questions on materials related topics such as "How has materials science and engineering helped or advanced your favorite hobby or pastime?". The essays were read by an MSE department faculty member, graduate student, and undergraduate student, and ranked according to creativity, communication, and application of basic materials knowledge.

The quality of this year's essays was extremely high. As a result, we modified our original decision to award only two $1000 scholarships. We also are awarding two $500 scholarships.

Congratulations to our MSE Day 2007 Essay Scholarship Winners:

Mary B. - $500
Annie B. - $500
Christian E. - $1000
Karl M. - $1000

 

Congratulations Justine!

Justine Mahler, who will graduate with her BS in MSE on June 10, has been named a Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association National Scholar Athlete. Justine, co-captain of the OSU Women's Rowing Team, competed over the Memorial Day weekend in Oak Ridge TN in the NCAA Division I Women's Rowing Championships. The team finished third in the nation--an OSU rowing program first--edging out previously undefeated University of Southern California! [Link to recap of the races]

The team was also featured in an article by Tim May in the 5/24/07 edition of the Columbus Dispatch. [Link to full article]

 

Welcome new MSE staff!

Beth Allen

Beth, the department's Human Resources Officer, grew up in Columbus and graduated from OSU in 2005 in Business Administration with a specialization in Human Resources. Upon graduation, she worked for the Department of Radiology at the OSU Medical Center for almost two years.

Beth is currently taking classes toward her Master's of Labor and Human Resources degree at OSU. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her new puppy and watching the Buckeyes!

Beth may be reached at 614-292-7268 or at allen@matsceng.ohio-state.edu

 

Ross Baldwin

Ross Baldwin, a Worthington native, graduated from The Ohio State University in 2006 with a BFA in Art and Technology. He started working for the university in 2000 assisting graduate students in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science. He assisted in the installation of load cells, strain gauges, and LVDTs on experimental composite bridges.

In 2004, Baldwin started assisting Kenneth Kushner and Gary Dodge at the Department of Material Science and Engineering machine shop as a student employee. In 2006, Baldwin traveled to Newcastle with OSU professor of Art Ken Rinaldo to participate in the UKs largest festival of digital art, the AV Festival. Baldwin also taught an Art 552, computer animation class spring quarter 2007 for the Department of Art. [Go to samples of Ross' work]

Ross may be reached at 614-688-3487 or at baldwin@matsceng.ohio-state.edu

 

2007 Experimental and Applications Research Award

Hamish Fraser, Pete Collins, and Dan Huber from CAMM received the 2007 Experimental & Application Research Award. The award was presented Tuesday, May 1, 2007 at the Ohio Supercomputing Center's Advanced Technology Awards for use of the Third Frontier Network (now the OSCNet). This award was presented in the category of Applied Research for their work on remote access to sophisticated lab instrumentation.

 

ASM Student Awards

A number of MSE undergraduate students were recognized at the annual ASM Student Night, a joint meeting of the Columbus chapters of ASM, TMS, and ACerS. The awards banquet was held on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 at Damon's.

Recognition of Student Club Officers

Ohio State 2006-2007 Officers
Mike Gram, President-ASM/TMS
Ashley Manny, President-MSE Club
Mark Andio, Vice President
Caesar Buie, Treasurer
Nathan Andersen, Secretary

Student Awards and Honors

Nominations to Alpha Sigma Mu MSE Honorary

Seniors

Mark Andio, Michael Gram, Ryan Klayman, Justine Mahler, Ashley Manny, Jason Matthews, Jonathan Orsborn, Jesse Rhodes, Danelle Violet

Juniors

Katrina Altman, Michael Baughman, Sarah Bertke, Beau Billet, Elizabeth Brannon, Caesar Buie, Karen Domas, Kent Pullins, Tyler Rolfes, Nat Sheppard, Kathleen Sherer, Allyson Stahl, Zachary Warchol, Jessica Wolever

Foundry Educational Foundation Scholarship Recipients

The Central Ohio AFS Chapter, in Columbus, recently presented $14,000 worth of scholarships to students of The Ohio State University, who are also members of the chapter. From left to right: Sammy Merrill, Michael Baughman, Evan Standish, Kyle Brevick, Stephanie Collins, Ryan Glamm, Ashley Manny, Bruce Sanderson, and Kyle Chapman.

Outstanding Junior Scholar

Recognizing an outstanding junior student: Katrina Altman

Senior Scholar Recognition Awards

Recognizing outstanding senior students: Jonathan Orsborn, Jennifer Payler

George St. Pierre Award

For scholarship and professional activities in the MSE department: Mark Andio

Mars G. Fontana Award

To the outstanding senior scholar conducting research in metallurgy: Ryan Glamm

Alan J. Markworth Memorial Award

To the student who best reflects the personal and professional talents of Professor Markworth: Justine Mahler

The Department Chair's Award

To the outstanding senior scholar in the Materials Science and Engineering Program: Michael Gram

ASM/TMS Chapter's Ernie W. Christin Award

For the student who best demonstrates how industrial experience has influenced his or her educational development: Tyler Rolfes

 

Governor Ted Strickland visits CAMM & MSE

Gov. Strickland and Chancellor Fingerhut learn more about the world-class research facilities available at CAMM. L-R: Alison Polasik, Eric Fingerhut, Hamish Fraser, Ted Strickland, Robert Williams.

Gov. Ted Strickland and Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut visited campus March 29, 2007 to tour the Center for the Accelerated Maturation of Materials. The tour was led by Hamish Fraser, Ohio Eminent Scholar and CAMM director. Fraser and his colleagues have worked on the development and utilization of the world's highest resolution, commercially available scanning transmission electron microscope.

The group observed a number of electron microscopes and learned how they are used by faculty, students and other external organizations to better understand the characterization of materials.

 

Dr. Glenn Daehn receives funding for fuel cell research

Dr. Glenn Daehn
[Dr. Daehn's research page]

Glenn Daehn, in partnership with American Trim and GM, recently proposed a R&D pilot plant for the manufacture of the metal bipolar plates for fuel cells. On March 28, 2007 it was announced that a $1M effort will be awarded under the State's Third Frontier Fuel Cell Program. This is great for OSU and MSE, because it is based on methods invented and developed by Glenn to solve some important metal forming problems. This process now seems to be proceeding quickly towards commercialization. Glenn's approach to metal forming also has a pretty high profile in General Motors, as it enables design/materials combinations that are otherwise impossible or not cost effective.

From the press release:

American Trim, located in Lima (Allen County) was awarded $1 million for its Agile Low-Cost Manufacture of Fuel Cell Plates via Electromagnetic Forming project, in which American Trim will use high velocity electromagnetic forming (HVEF) to produce usable prototype bipolar plates that have all the required flowfield features. At the conclusion of this project, American Trim expects to have the design and manufacturing parameters required to produce commercial quantities of fuel cell plates sufficient to support a full production line employing 270 people. The collaborators on this project include General Motors Corporation and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University.


 

2006

Watts News

View Watts News 2006 (PDF, 2.8MB) Read about the latest research and events in the MSE department in this year's newsletter.

Dr. Ju Li Receives PECASE Award

Congratulations to Dr. Ju Li!

The Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, established in 1996, honors the most promising researchers in the nation within their fields. Nine federal departments and agencies annually nominate scientists and engineers at the start of their independent careers whose work shows exceptional promise for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge during the twenty-first century. Participating agencies award these talented scientists and engineers up to five years of funding to further their research in support of critical government missions.

[view OSTP press release (PDF)] [view Dr. Li's bio]

President George W. Bush poses for a photo with the recipients of the 2005 Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, July 26, 2006. The Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, established in 1996, represents the highest honor that any young scientists or engineer can receive in the United States. White House photo by Kimberlee Hewitt

MSE Staff Member Wins Distinguished Staff Award

Congratulations to Mei Wang, recipient of a 2006 Distinguished Staff Award! Every year this award recognizes 12 staff members for exceptional accomplishments, leadership, and service to the university community. The description below describes a few of the accomplishments for which Mei earned this award:

Mei Wang

Mei Wang is described by all who know her as superb, bright, efficient, reliable and a host of other superlatives. Colleagues praise her for her interpersonal skills and her integrity. She is tireless, dedicated and not afraid of hard work, as evidenced by her Herculean effort to take charge of the finances at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and completely restructure it into a modern financial system. To build this system, Wang basically had to trace back every source of income, purchase order and commitment that had been made by the department for more than five years.

William “Bud” Baeslack, dean of the College of Engineering, confirmed his high regard for Wang by calling upon her to serve on several important college fiscal planning committees as the only staff person. Her understanding of departmental, college and university procedures, as well as her ability to work effectively as a team member, make her stand apart from other fiscal officers in engineering. Always available to answer questions from faculty, staff and students, Wang truly enjoys being able to give back to the community. When the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering’s business officer left the university, Wang volunteered to take on his duties in addition to her own. During a period of four months, she worked more than 80 hours per week while maintaining a delightful personality and a sunny disposition. In addition to her hectic work environment, Wang volunteers on weekends delivering hot meals to the less fortunate through Meals on Wheels.

[Link to the 2006 Distinguished Staff Award page.]

MSE Sr. Helps Katrina Victims

Spring Break 2006: New Orleans


Lower Ninth Ward


Water and mildew-damage


Same room after OSU volunteers cleared away ruined walls and floor

MSE Senior Karla Brammer spent her Spring Break helping those affected by Hurricane Katrina. What follows is Karla's description of her time in the New Orleans area.

No one knew what to expect and you could tell the silence in the van illustrated the awe-struck felling we all felt as we drove in to the city of New Orleans. My first glimpse of the devastating ruins of Katrina was seen on a roof top that had the word ‘HELP’ spelled out, written by a stranded victim waiting to be rescued. It only got worse as we entered the barren neighborhoods, or what was left, mostly a ghost town.

Nine of us OSU students ventured down to New Orleans to volunteer for our spring break. We stayed at a church, set up much like a summer camp, bunks and all. The organization that ran the volunteer operation was the Hands On Network. AmeriCorp members were there to serve as our leaders. I was inspired by their high spirits and drive to really make a difference. [Link to AmeriCorp.com]

Every morning we set out to different sites, mainly on the east side of the city where we would completely gut the damaged houses. The owners would contact Hands-On and get on the list for our services. Our tasks included tearing down plaster or dry wall, ripping up carpet, tile, or other flooring, knocking down ceilings, taking out cabinets, toilets, bathtubs, pretty much everything (note the before and after pictures at right). The only thing we left standing was the wood frame of the house. The damage to the walls and the floor was the greatest. I have never seen so many different colors and textures of mold, which grew about four feet up each wall and in some cases inches thick. Not to mention the cockroaches you would discover hidden behind the walls.

Nonetheless, for the first time in my life I felt like I was truly making a difference. I was able to help families get their lives back together. It really puts you in perspective, just how lucky you are. There is an extreme shortage of help and supplies and it will take years to rebuild the city of New Orleans. The mass destruction was unbelievable, especially in the lower ninth ward where the levy broke. The sight made my stomach turn. I can’t believe that some people have nothing left at all (See pictures).

My contribution and volunteering in New Orleans over spring break was the best thing I have ever done in my life and I encourage everyone to reach out and help too. I even plan on returning in the summer to help a little more, because in New Orleans, every little bit helps!

Karla Brammer

 


A picture of the crew that I went out with one day. The first four on the left and the second guy to my right are from OSU too. There was a pile of insulation that we ripped out behind us. [Karla is in the center of the picture, sixth from the left.]

Welcome Cameron!

The MSE department welcomes Cameron Lottie as our newest staff member! Cameron serves the department as the Assistant to the Department Chair.

Cameron is a native of South Bend, Indiana. She attended Indiana University where she studied Mass Communications. Cameron moved to Columbus in July of 2004 to work with a voter registration organization during the Presidential Election. She then took a position with The OSU Medical Center in Thoracic Surgery where she maintained the hectic clinic schedules of two surgeons. Says Cameron, "I am very excited to work for the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and I hope to learn a lot about the field!"

Cameron may be reached at 614-688-3050.

 

Welcome Megan!

In April, 2006 the MSE department welcomed Megan Daniels to the staff. Megan serves the department as our Undergraduate Advisor.

A Cincinnati native, Megan has lived in Columbus for 22 years. Her interest in student services began at Wittenberg University where, after graduating with a degree in English and Psychology, she stayed on as a residence hall director. She received her masters degree in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University while working in residence life there. Megan then worked as a hall director at Ohio University, where she met and married her husband Jim in 1983.

Megan worked in admissions at Clark State Community College, then spent three years at Otterbein College as Assistant Director of Admission. She took time off from higher education and worked for 11 years from a home office as the local coordinator for Au Pair in America. Megan returned to higher education in 1999 and worked for seven years at Columbus State Community College as an Academic Advisor.

She and Jim reside in Grove City where they are the very proud parents of Emily and Tom. Megan and her husband are active in the GCHS Band Boosters and Little Theatre Off Broadway. After being a Tiger, Falcon, Eagle, Bobcat, Cardinal, and Cougar, Megan is proud to finally call herself a Buckeye!


 

2005

MSE Students Attend FEF Conference

MSE students receive $14,000 in scholarships and awards

phtoto of  students who attended FEF conference
Back, l-r: Doru Stefanecu, Jeffrey Root, Kevin Bertke
Front, l-r: Andy Geiger, Stephanie Collins, Kyle Chapman

The 2005 College Industry Conference organized by the Foundation for Metal Casting Education (FEF) was held at the Drake Hotel in downtown Chicago on November 10 to 12. Attended by 101 students form 27 North American universities and by 42 casting and casting suppliers companies, the conference brought together industry executives, FEF Board Members, Key Professors, university officials and top student delegates, all interested in metal casting.

OSU was represented by five students and FEF Key Professor Doru M. Stefanescu. Two of the OSU students, Stephanie Collins and Jeffrey Root (ISE), were awarded competitive scholarships at the conference. They received $1,500 and $3,000, respectively. This is in addition to the $14,000 to be distributed to the ten OSU registered FEF students before Christmas. FEF distributed a total of $29,000 in students' scholarships on site.

Some of the OSU participants' remarks:

"I was so impressed with the unity and the friendship among the people in the casting industry. They not only support each other but extend their generosity to the students as well." --Stephaine Collins, senior MSE

"The foundry industry really does care about their students, offering help to their AFS chapters, interest in their research, and simply interest in who the students are....Upon completion of the conference, interest in the foundry industry for me has reached a new height." --Kyle Chapman, senior MSE

"I have been in many clubs at OSU and I have never been in one that has made me feel so welcome....I never thought that I would have these kinds of opportunities." --Kevin Bertke, senior MSE

CAMM Receives Titan

Ohio State Receives World's Highest Resolution, Commercially Available Microscope

photo of titan microscopeThe Ohio State University is one of the first customers in the world to receive a new microscope capable of magnifying up to 30 million times, enabling researchers to examine materials at the atomic scale.

The two-ton scanning/transmission electron microscope, called the Titan, will be used by faculty, students and researchers in the College of Engineering and the Ohio State Medical Center to develop computational tools that predict the performance of materials.

"Things that affect material properties often occur at the atomic scale," said Hamish Fraser, director of the Center for Accelerated Maturation of Materials, where the Titan is located. "This microscope will allow us to get a very accurate physical picture of materials."

Fraser expects the Titan, which is the world's highest resolution, commercially available microscope, to have a significant impact on the research conducted by the Center for Accelerated Maturation of Materials, which develops advanced processes and materials that the automotive industry and others use in their products. For example, the researchers in the center are examining two advanced structural materials used in the aerospace industry: titanium alloys used in airframes and jet engines and nickel-based superalloys used in high-temperature applications, such as gas turbine engines.

Funding for the $3.3 million system was obtained through the Ohio Hayes Investment Fund, the Air Force Research Laboratories, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Ohio Board of Regents Action Fund.

The Titan is manufactured by FEI Co. in Hillsboro, Ore. Ohio State is the first North American site to install and begin using the Titan.

About the Titan:

The Titan system is the world's highest resolution commercially available microscope, yielding powerful sub-Angstrom (atomic scale) imaging and analysis. It enables microscopy to be taken to the next level where new discoveries on the structure-property relationships of functional materials become possible.

  • Magnification: Up to 30 million times
  • Cost: $3.3 million
  • Size: about 2 tons

About the Titan's manufacturer:

FEI Co., located in Oregon. [Link to www.feicompany.com]
FEI's Tools for Nanotech, featuring focused ion- and electron-beam technologies, deliver 3D characterization, analysis and modification capabilities with resolution down to the sub-Angstrom level. (An Angstrom is approximately the diameter of a small atom.) With R&D centers in North America and Europe and sales and service operations in more than 40 countries, FEI is bringing the nanoscale within the gasp of leading researchers and manufacturers.

Robert Rapp receives 2005 Olin Palladium Award

portrait of Robert Rapp
Dr. Robert Rapp
Go to Dr. Rapp's research page

MSE Professor Emeritus Dr. Robert Rapp received the Electrochemical Society's 2005 Olin Palladium Award on October 19th at the Electrochemical Society's 208th meeting in Los Angeles, California. The award is granted in recognition of distinguished contributions to the field of electrochemical or corrosion science. Dr. Rapp presented the Award address "Hot Corrosion of Materials". He was introduced by Prof. Gerald Frankel, Director of the MSE Fontana Corrosion Center.

 

 

 

 

Geoff Hulse wins President's Award for Photography

Geoff Hulse, the Director of Computing for MSE and ChBME, received the President's Award for Photography at the 14th Annual Staff Arts and Crafts Exhibit. Before joining Ohio State in 1985, Geoff was a freelance photographer, and has taken many of the pictures used by the MSE department for publication purposes.

This award represents the personal choice of President Karen Holbrook. She has made arrangements to purchase the photo for her private collection and plans to display it in her home. The University will also use it on this year's official holiday card.

The picture, of a female Cardinal, was taken during an ice storm in 2004 and is titled, "Cold Bird".

photo titled "cold bird"

 

Doru Stefanescu joins the MSE faculty

 

portrait of Doru Stefanescu
Dr. Doru Stefanescu
[Dr. Stefanescu's research page]

The MSE department welcomes Dr. Doru Stefanescu!

Doru Stefanescu joined the department in August 2005 after serving in the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department at the University of Alabama for 25 years. His last position was of Cudworth Professor of Engineering, Distinguished University Research Professor, and Director of the Solidification Laboratory.

Doru's research interests include solidification science (e.g. effects of natural convection on nucleation and growth kinetics, particles behavior at the solid/liquid interface, computational modeling of microstructure evolution), solidification processing (e.g. manufacturing of metal-matrix composites and ceramic superconductors, computational modeling of shrinkage cavity, porosity, metal penetration defects in castings, and of mechanical properties), and new materials produced through solidification processing (e.g. particulate ceramics-intermetallic matrix composite materials, thin-wall spheroidal graphite cast iron). He is also a nationally and internationally recognized expert in metal casting technology.

His contributions in solving the difficult interdisciplinary problem of particles behavior at the liquid/solid interface has enjoyed significant publicity, following the experiment that he directed on the Life and Microgravity Science Mission of the shuttle Columbia in June 1996, and the experiment that he conducted on the Fourth United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4) in November of 1997. The two astronauts designated to conduct the experiments were trained for two days in The Solidification Laboratory at The University of Alabama, under Doru's supervision. Doru can be reached at stefanescu.1@osu.edu

 

Patricia Morris joins the MSE faculty

 

portrait of Patricia Morris
Dr. Patricia Morris
[Dr. Morris' research page]

The MSE department welcomes the arrival of Dr. Patricia Morris!

Patricia A. Morris joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering as an Associate Professor in August 2005. She received her B.S. degree in Ceramic Engineering from The Ohio State University in 1980 and her Ph.D. in Ceramics from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1986. She worked as a scientist at Bell Communications Research for two years before joining the research staff at DuPont in 1988. She worked in Central Research and Development (CR&D) at DuPont for seventeen years and was the Technical Leader of a chemical sensors program for the past six years before joining the faculty at OSU.

Pat's research and teaching interests are in the areas of: chemical sensors, electrical and optical properties of materials, surface characteristics of ceramics, and the processing methods used to obtain the specific properties of interest. She has experience in thin film growth, bulk crystal growth and powder processing of ceramics and thick film materials. Over the past decade her work has primarily focused on materials for environmental applications. She has over 70 publications, five patents granted and over a dozen more patent applications filed on sensor materials, devices and applications. Pat has presented over eighty talks in the U.S. and abroad with about 30 of these being invited. Her research has primarily been funded by private industry, but she has had NSF funding for joint industrial-academic research during her career which involved advising students and their Ph.D. research activities.

Pat is a member of the American Ceramic Society, Materials Research Society and American Association for Crystal Growth and has organized many technical conferences, symposia and sessions over the years. She was also the Chair of the Gordon Conference on Crystal Growth. She participated on the Research Maximization and Prioritization Task Force for NASA (2002) and the NSF Workshop, "Fundamental Research Needs in Ceramics" (1997). She was also an Associate Editor of the Journal of Crystal Growth from 1996-2001.

In addition to her scientific activities, Pat led the Mentoring and Diversity Programs in CR&D at DuPont, chaired the Government Relations Committee for the National MS Society in Delaware, participated in Public Policy Conferences, and represented non-profit organizations during Congressional visits to provide information on issues pertaining to persons with disabilities. Pat can be reached at morris.692@osu.edu.

 

Kathy Flores receives NSF, Naval Research Awards

portrait of Katherine Flores
Dr. Katherine Flores
[Dr. Flores' research page]

Asst. Prof. Katharine Flores has received a prestigious National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program CAREER Award.

Flores was awarded $500,000 over five years for her proposal, "Development of a Structurally Based Plastic Flow Model to Enhance the Utilization of Bulk Metallic Glasses." The CAREER awards, NSF's most prestigious for junior faculty members, enable recipients to develop careers as outstanding teacher-scholars.

Bulk metallic glasses are a relatively new, very promising class of high strength metallic materials, Flores explained.

"My research is to gain a better understanding of how the bulk metallic glasses deform at both elevated temperatures, where they are processed, and at low temperatures, where they are typically used," she said. "In doing so, the goal is to improve their reliability to the point that they could be used in safety critical, structural applications."

In addition to the CAREER Award, Flores has received a three-year award for $300,000 from the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program for her proposal, "Development and Optimization of Bulk Metallic Glass Alloys and Structures via Laser Deposition."

Flores, who joined the MSE department in October 2002, received her doctoral and master's degrees from Stanford University and her bachelor's degree from Washington University.

Nitin Padture joins the MSE faculty

portrait of Nitin Padture
Dr. Nitin Padture
[Dr. Padture's research page]

The MSE department welcomes the arrival of Dr. Nitin Padture!

Nitin P. Padture joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering as a Professor in January 2005. He received his B.Tech. in Metallurgical Engineering from IIT-Bombay (1985), M.S. in Ceramic Engineering from Alfred University (1987), and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Lehigh University (1991). He worked as a post-doctoral researcher at NIST for three years before joining the University of Connecticut faculty in January 1995 as an Assistant Professor. Nitin was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 1998, and he spent a six-month sabbatical at the University of California, Santa Barbara (2001). In 2003 he was promoted to the rank of Professor in the UConn Materials department, and served as the Interim Department Head for one year (2003-04).

Nitin's research and teaching interests are in the areas of: processing; structural ceramics, composites, and coatings; functional thin films and 1-D nanomaterials; mechanical behavior; and thermal properties. He has published over 90 journal papers, including two in Science and one in Nature Materials, and holds three patents. His publications have been cited over 1,600 times. Nitin has presented over 70 invited talks in the US and abroad. His research has been funded by NSF, AFOSR, ONR, DoE, US Army, Spanish Government, and private industry, and he has served as a PI or co-PI on grants worth $10M over the past 10 years.

Nitin is the recipient of the American Ceramic Society's Roland B. Snow Award and the Robert L. Coble Young Scholar Award, and he was recently elected Fellow of ACerS. He is also the recipient of the Young Investigator award from the Office of Naval Research, the Olin Junior Faculty award from the Olin Corporation, and the Outstanding Junior Faculty award from the UConn School of Engineering.

Nitin is a Principal Editor of the Journal of Materials Research and an Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society. He served as a program chair for the Basic Science Division of the American Ceramic Society (2000-01), and he has also organized symposia under the auspices of MRS, ASM International, and TMS.

Nitin is married to Sherilyn, a ceramics artist, and they have an 11-year son named Siddharth (a.k.a. Sidd). Nitin can be reached at padture.1@osu.edu.