HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | MAY 2026 50 FACE OF MATERIALS ENGINEERING committee has given me a sense of belonging to the local materials community. This year, serving as vice chair and program chair for the ASM Oak Ridge Chapter, I had the opportunity to select speakers for our seminar events. Our program this year featured speakers at the cutting edge of research and development of corrosion-resistant alloys, battery materials, nuclear materials, neutron diffraction and imaging, and the tribology and wear resistance of ceramics, metals, and lubricants. Having a speaker program represent such a wide scope of materials science specialties proved bene- ficial in attracting a wide audience to our meetings and was interesting to attend. We have also hosted joint meetings with local chapters of the American Ceramic Society and American Chemical Society. Hosting joint events was an excellent way to cross-pollinate society membership and interest. I look forward to working with our fellow societies again in the future. Benjamin Lamm R&D Association, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Alam From left: Najib Masghouni, Elizabeth Hoffman, FASM, and Aaron Stebner at Georgia Tech. THE FACE OF MATERIALS ENGINEERING This profile series features members from around the world at all stages in their careers. Here we speak with Mobashera Alam, flow assurance manager at Jacam Catalyst in Gardendale, Texas. What do you enjoy most about your work or area of expertise? In my work, I genuinely enjoy learning new things and continuously improving my skills. I focus on applying theoretical methods to practical situations and translating them into real-world solutions. I also analyze and interpret data from different systems to understand performance and identify issues. This approach helps me build a deeper understanding of engineering problems and make more informed decisions. What inspired you to pursue a career in materials science/engineering? Mechanical engineering, often considered the foundation of engineering disciplines, has been the primary driving force behind my career choice. I was drawn to its versatility, offering both hands-on experience and analytical modeling opportunities. Through this, I developed an appreciation for how materials influence mechanical performance, reliability, and design. While my focus remains on mechanical engineering, understanding materials has become an essential part of solving real-world engineering problems and optimizing system performance. What current projects or research are you most excited about? Failure analysis is an area of particular interest, as it provides significant exposure to understanding damage mechanisms in oil and gas production systems. Through this work, valuable insights are gained into material degradation, corrosion processes, and fracture behavior under real-world operating conditions. Additionally, the study of surface morphology offers a unique perspective on failure mechanisms, contributing to a deeper technical understanding and supporting the development of more reliable engineering solutions. Tell us about your involvement with ASM. Being part of ASM has had a significant impact on my professional growth. It has provided valuable exposure to different types of failure mechanisms and patterns, particularly rupture and other critical failure modes. This experience has strengthened my ability to analyze and interpret failures more effectively. As a result, it has enhanced my confidence and improved my ability to approach failure analysis in a more structured and technically sound manner. Do you know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Face of Materials Engineering profile? Contact Vicki Burt at vicki.burt@asminternational.org. CHAPTERS IN THE NEWS ASM President Tours Georgia Tech On March 10, ASM President Elizabeth Hoffman, FASM, toured Georgia Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AMPF) as part of an ASM Atlanta Chapter visit where she gave a presentation about materials science research at Savannah River National Lab. Prof. Aaron Stebner of Georgia Tech led the AMPF tour, which showcased a variety of advanced manufacturing equipment to process polymers to refractories. Hoffman also met with the Atlanta Chapter Chair, Najib Masghouni of Hubbell Power Systems Inc.
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