HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 46 THE FACE OF MATERIALS ENGINEERING This profile series features members from around the world at all stages in their careers. Here we speak with Sara Wonner, graduate research assistant in the materials science and engineering department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. What does your typical workday look like? Most days, I start by doing the administrative work of checking emails, addressing tasks I may have as a teaching assistant, and planning my day. From there, the day varies based on what I need to do. Recently, I have been focusing the rest of the day on data analysis and manuscript writing. On the days where I have experiments planned, I head down to the lab and get started. My research focus is on the impact of radiation damage on 316L stainless steel, and so the majority of my experimental work consists of making samples and characterizing their microstructure via transmission electron microscopy. What part of your job do you like most? As a graduate student, I like that I get to have a hands-on experience with every aspect of my research project. As a result, I have had the opportunity to gain expertise on many different materials characterization techniques, such as FIB-SEM, EBSD, EDS, TEM, and STEM. I have found that seeing the growth and progress of the project over the past few years has been very satisfying. What is your engineering background? I have a B.S. in materials science and engineering with a minor in mathematics from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Best career advice, given or received: The best advice I was given in my early career was to pursue research opportunities and internships in addition to undergraduate studies. I firmly believe that undergraduate internships are what shaped my early career path. It was through an internship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory that I developed an interest in nuclear materials science and was inspired to pursue a Ph.D. Furthermore, the experience and mentorship I gained during this internship helped me develop into a competitive candidate for graduate school, and many of the skills I developed during this time were directly transferable to my graduate research. What are you working on now? I am performing fundamental research on the impact of radiation damage on 316L stainless steel, a structural material commonly found in nuclear reactors. Through this research, I hope to further the scientific community’s mechanistic understanding of a phenomena called radiation induced segregation (RIS), which manifests as the enrichment or depletion of the alloy’s compositional elements at key areas of the material’s microstructure, such as grain boundaries. My current research focus is to determine the impact that the grain boundary character has on the RIS observed at that interface. Tell us about your involvement with ASM. My favorite memory of ASM is the student poster night organized by the local ASM Oak Ridge Chapter every year. In the fall of 2019, I presented a poster detailing research from my summer internship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). I won first place in the undergraduate research category. The prize associated with this poster award helped me attend the TMS annual conference in 2020, where I presented an oral presentation on my ORNL summer research. Currently, I have been making strides to get more involved with ASM, and I recently joined the ASM IDEA Committee. Last book read? “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir. Do you know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Face of Materials Engineering profile? Contact Vicki Burt at vicki.burt@asminternational.org. COO Departure from ASM International Ryan Milosh is stepping down as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of ASM International effective December 8 to pursue a new opportunity. Milosh has been part of the ASM International leadership for seven years, having started as the Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, and serving, since July 2022, as the COO. He also served as Interim Managing Director for several months in 2021. Milosh accelerated ASM’s partnership model domestically with organizations including SAE, AGMA, and ASTM. He led reciprocal membership and joint programming relationships internationally with IOM3 (United Kingdom) and SF2M (French Metallurgy and Metals Society) and has been working on digital delivery of resources to better serve our India Chapters and community. He also has been a resource and supporter of the work of the ASM International Affiliate Societies. The senior staff team has created a transition plan to manage through the interim months until Milosh’s successor is identified. ASM thanks Milosh for his contributions and wishes him the best in his future endeavors. Wonner Milosh FACE OF MATERIALS ENGINEERING
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