ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 31 diligent staff and a steady group of volunteers who can take the time off to be present at the camps. Student demand for camp attendance is high, and this last summer likely pushed the upper limits of who could be accommodated[9]. Having more camps requires more volunteers, but most companies and government agencies have not given paid time off for their employees. However, these same companies complain they have trouble finding competent students to fill entry-level jobs[10]. These companies need to understand that this week off for one or two employees is an investment in the future, helping produce students in about five years who are ready to enter the engineering workforce. Further, the camp allows volunteers to get free retraining in many materials concepts, providing direct exposure to newer characterization equipment. For universities, volunteering could present an opportunity for class or service credit. We need to keep the university level of volunteers camps, being introduced to materials science, and getting hands-on experience with the equipment and concepts. There are many success stories from graduates of the Materials Camp. These include University of Florida Professor Tori Miller, who attended camp in 2006 and recently won the 2023 ASM Silver Medal Award, Rachel Eckhart (now a process engineer at Medtronic medical devices), and Cole Kohler (a manufacturing engineer at Anheuser-Busch). Perhaps the Cole family (no relation to Kohler) is one of the best success stories as siblings Eric and Mary both started as Eisenman campers. Eric has been a staple at the camp, returning as a junior mentor, mentor, and camp coordinator almost every year since first attending. His sister Mary served as a mentor for many years before moving west for her corrosion engineering career. Both are senior engineers and project managers in materials manufacturing companies. While the camps have been a success, there are ongoing challenges. The camp relies on two main things— supported, enticed, and engaged to return once they graduated, as over 90% of students who engage in handson lab work and mentoring stay in the STEM field[11]. This early career solution will help maintain recent graduates and students so they can transition into leadership roles. Maintaining the camps requires investment, not just from donations and capital, but also from volunteers and volunteer time. ~AM&P For more information: Erik M. Mueller, materials research engineer, University of the District of Columbia, 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008, 202.591.6359; erik.m.mueller@ gmail.com; or ASM Materials Education Foundation staff at 440.671.3800, foundation@asminternational.org. References 1. L. Dawes, et al., Why are Students Choosing STEM and When Do They Make Their Choice?, Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Fig. 5 – Chart showing the cumulative number of attendees in student materials camps each year.
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