NovDec_AMP_Digital

72 / 78

ASM
news
HIGHLIGHTS... Profile of a Volunteer
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES • NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 72
VOLUNTEERISM COMMITTEE
Profile of a Volunteer
Manish Mehta, PhD
National Center for
Manufacturing Sciences
Director of Strategic Projects
& Principal Investigator
NCMS-NSF Nanotechnology
Commercialization Readiness Study
M anish Mehta is a man of devotion—to industrial engi-
neering, ASM, and global sustainability solutions.
Speaking to Manish is an education, whether about his sys-
tems approach to developing materials, the commercializa-
tion of nanotechnology, or his work with Rotary
International’s “Project Dignity” in the Sundarbans region of
India to provide families with improved sanitation while pre-
venting ecosystem damage.
Manish studiedmechanical engineering in Bangalore, India,
before earning a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati for
a master’s and PhD in Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering.
He worked on stealth composite technology at the U.S. Air
ForceMaterials Lab and joined ASMas a student member, be-
ginning 25 years as an active member. “Everything I do is re-
lated tomaterials,” Manish observes, “I’ve become a steward of
materials, striving to not waste materials or harm the environ-
ment when we convert materials into functional objects.”
Manish worked with the Environmental Research Institute
of Michigan (ERIM) before becoming a Senior ProgramMan-
ager andDirector at theNational Center forManufacturing Sci-
ence, where he is a principal investigator for one of the largest
studies of nanotechnology applications in manufacturing.
Manish chairs ASMDetroit and is excited about program-
ming beyond the technical to include speakers on economic
development as well. He says, “Detroit is such a happening
place! There’s great strength in this chapter. ASM actually
has its origins in Detroit, with the 1913 Steel Treaters Club.”
Manish serves on the Emerging Technology Awareness
Committee, the ASM-IIMAwards Committee, and at Teacher
Camps in Ann Arbor, an experience he calls “most gratifying,
and the way ASM can make a major societal impact.” He is ex-
cited to lead the Detroit chapter into the future, saying, “Let’s
bring in young blood and new faces to ASM…and deal with
economic issues and improving our quality of life.”
Inaugural DomesDay a Smashing Success
The ASM Geodesic Dome Design Competition, Domes-
Day, was held on October 14 in Pittsburgh during MS&T,
sponsored by NSL Analytical and MTS. The competition in-
volved eight teams from six universities competing against
one another, with VT Alu-
minum Dome Team from
Virginia Tech taking home
the top prize of $1000. Team
Dima-Dome from the Uni-
versity of Connecticut came
in second, winning $750.
Third place, with $500, went
to The Iron Lotus team from Arizona State University. Each
team built a geodesic dome that was judged based on a sales
presentation, aesthetics, and mechanical strength. Compres-
sion testing took place in front of an audience on the con-
vention floor. Judges included ASM Trustee John (Chip)
Keough, Larry Somrack from NSL Analytical, and former
student board members Jesi Booth and Karly Noelle. For
more information, visit
ASM Grant Supports RPI’s MA Outreach
Konane Bay, Sarah Boyd, Karly Chester, and Peter Lezzi
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y.
The Material Advantage Chapter of Rensselaer Polytech-
nic Institute (RPI MA) has a goal of in-
creasing community interest in materials
science and engineering (MSE). Acknowl-
edging the need for students to gain educa-
tional experiences with MSE, the club
launched a community outreach program
in fall 2011, supported by an ASM grant,
which has since allowed RPI student volun-
teers to connect with four schools and more than 300 stu-
dents. To preserve key components of its outreach efforts,
RPI MA developed the “IDEA” framework to guide its vol-
unteers through each outreach event, and the “Materials
Buddies” project to prepare new volunteers for future
events. To read the full article, visit
Cold spray researcher named 2014 Mines Medal Fellow
M. Reza Rokni, a South Dakota School of
Mines & Technology, Rapid City, S.D., doc-
toral candidate in materials engineering and
science, has been named the 2014 Mines
Medal Fellow. Rokni’s research focuses on ad-
vanced characterization of cold spray de-
posits. He has developed expertise in
advanced materials characterization, includ-
ing scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron mi-
croscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and nanoindentation.
Rokni, of Tehran, Iran, earned his master’s degree from the Uni-
versity of Tehran and his bachelor’s degree fromtheUniversity of
Semnan, both in materials engineering and science. Ultimately,
Rokni hopes to join a national laboratory for post-doctoral study
and eventually become a faculty member at the university level.
Proud ISU Cyclones Spot Mascot in Micrograph
The Materials Advantage Chapter
at Iowa State University has been
named a “Chapter of Excellence”
for the past nine years.
Proud Cyclones include
AndrewMeiszberg, Victor
Lee, Zhenpei Ding, and
Tyler Schlueter, who spotted the school mascot
“Cy” in the microstructure of a copper-nickel-tin
alloy they were investigating.
Student News