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 | O C T O B E R 2 0 2 2 5 0 provide an exceptional amount of effort in their service to the Society. Nomination deadline for both awards is March 1, 2023. For rules and nomination forms, visit the EDFAS website at edfas.org, click on Membership & Networking and then Society Awards, or contact Mary Anne Jerson at 440.671.3877 or maryanne.jerson@asminternational.org. EMERGING PROFESSIONALS Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Industry Tabitha Crocker, senior research engineer, American Cast Iron Pipe Company What does an emerging professional look like? For the last 10 years, I have struggled to see myself as anything but an emerging professional. As a first-generation college student, I had tremendous difficulty navigating undergraduate engineering courses when I first started in 2008. I often had to manage a full engineering course load with odd jobs, working as a grocer, pantry chef, and delivery driver to name a few. When an F4 tornado destroyed much of my college town in 2011, I was forced to give up my aerospace engineering and mechanics major to maintain my financial aid and good standing statuses. In 2013, I graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in English and started working full time as a technical writer at a local software company. Perhaps that was the point that I first became an emerging professional. Determined to become an engineer, I maintained my job as a technical writer and went to school part time. Eventually, I graduated with a bachelor of science in materials science and engineering in 2017. Armed with a little grit and a full-time position as an engineer, I went back to school a third time and came out with a master of science degree in aerospace engineering and mechanics. Now, almost 10 years after getting my first degree, I still have one foot in academia and one in industry. Soon, I’ll be transitioning to a materials engineering Ph.D. candidate while simultaneously working as a senior research engineer. I don’t fit the typical mold of an academic scholar or industry professional. I’m constantly emerging and, maybe after a Ph.D., I’ll finally be able to see myself as “professional.” My story isn’t just one of perseverance. The nonlinear career path I’ve chosen is one born of both financial necessity and innate desire. It’s common for women and other underrepresented minorities to struggle fitting into the complex mold of what society views as “scholar” or “engineer” or “scientist.” The statistics of women in STEM have been told to me over and over. I often share the classroom with other women and underrepresentedminorities, but the longer I stay in industry, the more I notice the leaky pipeline. If women are to persist in engineering, we need to bridge the gap from academia to industry. The Emerging Professionals Committee (EPC) is actively building that bridge by setting up mentoring opportunities and curating webinars. One such webinar titled “Women in Materials Engineering” is an example of how the EPC engages all audiences in the discussion of bridging the gap. We are interested in hearing from you about any other events or activities you would like to know more about in support of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM. Learn more about the committee’s members by visiting https://www.asminternational.org/membership/member-types/emerging/epc-committee or reach out to them via ASM Connect. Heat Treating Certificates Earned Five heat treating employees from the Volvo Group Trucks, Powertrain Production Department were awarded the ASM Heat Treating Certificate in June. Standing in front of their furnace system in Hagerstown, Md., are, from left: Wesley Everett, Cody Wood, Kristyn Frisosky, and Eric Martin. Not pictured is Leon Hall. Crocker EMERGING PROFESSIONALS
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