HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY 2026 53 EMERGING PROFESSIONALS to reach out to department liaisons, faculty, and MA officers before students graduate so ASM becomes a natural next step in their professional career. Programming should prioritize hands-on, interactive, and social formats that students and young professionals prefer over traditional lecture-only events. When possible, hybrid or in-person options are recommended, but ensuring accessibility is key. Chapters should vary event types. Examples of events can include: technical talks framed as discussions and casual networking, competitions with prizes, professional-development sessions, social outings, and awards nights, all of which appeal to young professionals. Practical recruitment tactics are covered in depth. Free food, clear career value, and explicit “students welcome” messaging significantly increases student turnout. Use “fear of missing out” (FOMO) creatively: Advertise events as unique networking opportunities with employers or hands-on sessions rather than “technical talks.” Pair students and professionals at tables or require mixed teams at socials and trivia nights to encourage cross pollination. You can also help create structured icebreaker questions to lower barriers to conversation and foster connections within your local ASM Chapter. Chapters are urged to maintain a consistent, updated presence on LinkedIn, and consider chapter-specific pages to post job listings, events, and success stories. LinkedIn is particularly effective for reaching emerging professionals. ASM Connect, Instagram, and other social media platforms can be used as complementary channels. Cross-posting across platforms increases reach, which in turn, increases event attendance. Ensure local chapter contact details, volunteer opportunities, and event calendars are up to date so interested students can easily engage. The Engaging Young Members Toolkit highlights ways chapters can integrate young members into leadership and service roles—invite emerging professionals to lead subcommittees, judge Material Advantage competitions, or volunteer at Materials Camp. These roles provide recognition and build professional skills while deepening chapter ties. Finally, the toolkit recommends leveraging conferences to learn best practices from other ASM chapters and connect students with national opportunities. Chapters can also strategically use Leadership Day to make new connections and adopt successful ideas to replicate locally. Christina (Tina) Grassi Industrial Engineer, The Timken Company THE FACE OF MATERIALS ENGINEERING This profile series features members from around the world at all stages in their careers. Here we speak with Sarah Tucker, aerospace engineer at Fokker Services Group in LaGrange, Georgia. What inspired you to pursue a career in materials science/engineering? I’ve always loved the sky and space. As long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be involved in space or aviation somehow. I’m from the Rocket City (Huntsville, Alabama) so it’s been engrained in me since I was a kid. I love working with my hands; I do a lot of woodworking, resin casting, and 3D printing. So, being an engineer was an easy choice. My mother is an engineer of 35 years. She had a big influence on that as well. What current projects or research are you most excited about? Currently I’m working on doing repairs for a specific starter. It’s very new to the industry and there aren’t many repairs for it. It’s been so interesting to see the differences in legacy units versus the newest generations. I’ve spent nearly a year designing repairs and fabricated parts to replace worn parts in the unit. What do you enjoy most about your work or area of expertise? I love being able to work with my hands and be hands-on with the technicians. Seeing what they need, or seeing how something broke is a huge help when it comes to repair. Many times, you really don’t get to see the end result, but I do. I’m able to see my repairs and designs come to life and see them put to use in an aircraft. I am not one to be stuck in a lab all day! Tell us about your involvement with ASM. ASM has been a big help when it comes to education. I’m planning to take several courses including the aluminum class and Metallurgy for the Non-Metallurgist. I work with a lot of different metals (stainless steel, aluminum, Inconel, etc.) and this isn’t something you learn in the college classroom. A lot of what I’ve learned is either on the job or through ASM posts. I know I’m early in my career and I have so much to learn. Do you know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Face of Materials Engineering profile? Contact Vicki Burt at vicki.burt@asminternational.org. Tucker
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