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ASM
NEWS
5 9
FROM THE FOUNDATION
Materials Education
Foundation Seeks Your
Wisdom & Advice
David B. Spencer
Chairman of the Board, wTe Corp.
A
s we begin the new year, your ASM
Materials Education Foundation
is working hard on your behalf “to
excite young people in materials, sci-
ence, and engineering careers.” Under
Dr. Steve Copley’s distinguished leadership, our Board of
Trustees developed a strategic plan for 2013-2017 and the
Foundation has been working hard to execute this plan
and meet all of its goals. Copley set forth our Foundation
achievements in a previous column (
AM&P,
April 2014).
While congratulations are in order for the accomplishments
achieved to date, the Foundation now finds itself facing the
need to develop a new strategic plan—one year earlier than
anticipated. We would like your help in providing critical
feedback. Are we doing the right things and are we doing
them correctly? What new ideas could be implemented?
What should we consider that would be helpful to your pro-
fession, company, and the Society?
We would like to hear your views regarding whether our
existing programs could be improved. Do we seek to give
more scholarships of the same size or fewer scholarships
of larger size? Should our scholarship program be based
on academic excellence, financial need, or a combina-
tion? Would our student camp program (which targets high
school students) be better off focused at an earlier stage in
the education pipeline, say at the junior high or elementary
school level? Should our programs be expanded or should
some be reduced or even eliminated? Do we focus on train-
ing community college students for advanced manufactur-
ing jobs? How can we leverage our programs and enhance
communications through better use of the Internet?
These are the questions we are askingwithin theMaterials
Education Foundation. Surely we will continue to advance
the programs of the past, but changes in emphasis and con-
sideration of new directions will need to be evaluated as we
embark on a new strategic planning process. Please provide
your feedback and share your wisdom. Send comments to
nichol.campana@asminternational.org.
You Cannot Out-Give
ASM
Frederick Schmidt,
PE, FASM, aka Mur Doc
President, Alpha Sigma Mu
T
oday we are highly focused
on materials and energy
for the future of our Society. As
I reflect on my personal ASM
journey, it all started when I was a co-op commuter
student at Drexel University, then an Institute of Tech-
nology in Philadelphia. Much has changed, but some
things are remarkably the same.
GeorgeDieter,HeadofMetallurgy, personallygreet-
ed us during orientation to challenge us and provide
a few pointers. After welcoming everyone to Drexel,
circa 1963, he said to join the student ASM chapter on
campus, get totally involved, and read
Metal Progress
cover to cover every month even though we would
not understand much at this point. I did, and after
40+ years I must say it was the best advice. I still read
AM&P
cover to cover.
After college, my assignments with DuPont, Rem-
ington Arms, and now Engineering Systems Inc. have
required numerous and diverse database sources.
ASM International’s extensive resources, coupled
with my ever expanding network from local chapters
and committee projects, have enabled the solution
of mission-impossible engineering challenges. Peer
review and critical analysis is a must in our complex,
get-it-right-the-first-time work environments.
I have learned that you simply cannot out-give
ASM! Allan Ray Putnam, past managing director, liked
to say that ASM means, “Always Serve Members.” His
message was to ASM staff and volunteers alike. I got
totally involved and continue to leverage the size and
scope of my professional family through ASM. The
bottom line is that when you invest in your profes-
sional network, the synergy is profitable to everyone.
Embrace “The Power of One” and remember there is
strength in numbers and diversity of experience. It
takes a team to solve problems and implement eco-
nomic solutions. “Just ask” others to join so we can
build the team!
For information on upcoming ASM courses, contact Liz Halderman, ASM Lifelong Learning Representative
at
liz.halderman@asminternational.org.
POWER OF ONE | MEMBERSHIP DRIVE