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HIGHL IGHTS A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | M A R C H 2 0 2 2 5 2 OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS Undergraduate Scholarships Scholarships from $1500 to $10,000 available to Mate- rial Advantage students. Deadline May 1. Technical and Community College Scholarships Scholarships of $500 each. Deadline May 1. Undergraduate Design Competition This competition encourages the strengthening of de- sign curricula in materials science and engineering depart- ments. The awards include: First Prize: $2000 + $500 travel assistance + $500 to the department for support of future design teams; Second Prize: $1500 + $500 travel assistance; Third Prize: $1000 + $500 travel assistance. Deadline June 30. Student Chapter Grants These grants support Material Advantage student chapters in their outreach activities. Five grants of $500 each. Deadline November 15. ASM Materials Camp - Students This popular program utilizes hands-on learning prin- ciples of applied math, physics, and chemistry led by a distinguished world-class faculty. The program is aimed at stirring students’ interest in science and getting them excited about materials engineering careers, as they learn to be team players and become “science detectives” at the camp. asmfoundation.org . ASM Materials Camp - Teachers This weeklong program for middle school and high school teachers demonstrates how to use low/no cost sim- ple labs and experiments with everyday materials that can be integrated into existingmath/science lesson plans. These simple activities and experiments are proven to actively engage students in learning more about applied science. asmfoundation.org . Kishor M. Kulkarni Distinguished High School Teacher Award This award honors the accomplishments of one high school science teacher who has demonstrated a significant and sustained impact on pre-college age students. Award: $2000 cash grant plus the recipient’s travel cost of up to $500 to receive the award at the ASM Awards Luncheon. Application deadline June 30. “Living in a Material World”—$500 Teacher Grants Provides support for K-12 teachers to develop and implement science teaching activities. Award: 20 grants of $500 each. Deadline: March 31. To learn more about any of these programs, visit asmfoundation.org . VOLUNTEERISM COMMITTEE Profile of a Volunteer Alexandra Merkouriou, project panager, Project Daedalus at Univer- sity of Connecticut and Ph.D. student in materials science Meet Alexandra Merkouriou and you’ll quickly learn of two passions in her life: materials science and helping others. In her education, career, and as an ASM volunteer, she fulfills both. Merkouriou’s fascination with materials began in high school at the University of Connecticut’s Explore Engineering program. “They showed me a superconductor and I was hooked. I’ve been set on materials science and engineering ever since!” Pursuing her bachelor’s at the University of Connecti- cut (UConn), she joined ASM’s Material Advantage chapter, serving as president her junior and senior years. “It was an opportunity to connect students, faculty, and industry. My goal was helping students figure out how to get internships and jobs while we were still focused on classes.” In the GE Edison Engineer program, she rotated through electrical and mechanical engineering to “learn their language” and build her leadership skills. It also con- firmed her attraction to tangible applications and the broad scope of materials science, from the atomic to the macro. While earning her master’s degree, Merkouriou worked in R&D for M Cubed Technologies. This inspired her to pursue a Ph.D. and led to her role as project manager for UConn’s Project Daedalus, with three contracts totaling $18 million to develop transformative technologies for the Air Force Research Labs. Merkouriou is involved in her local ASM chapter but is excited to help on a grander scale with the national Emerg- ing Professionals Committee. “Our goal is to have a global audience, helping people get internships and jobs, handle difficult situations at work, and share opportunities. We have so many different voices reaching out to help students and professionals see where their careers can go.” She encourages members to volunteer, even simply offering to give a talk or suggest a chapter event. “We get stuck thinking we need a leadership role to be involved. Maybe you plan a meeting once a year. That’s awesome and a huge help. The beauty of ASM is you can participate in any way you have time for.” VOLUNTEERISM COMMITTEE Merkouriou