HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 43 CHAPTERS IN THE NEWS THE FACE OF MATERIALS ENGINEERING This profile series features members from around the world at all stages in their careers. Here we speak with Ersilia Cozzolino, research fellow at the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. What is your greatest professional achievement? To date, my greatest achievement has been winning the prestigious Fulbright scholarship in 2022. Only five Italian Ph.D. students from all disciplines, not just engineering, were selected that year. This achievement made me very proud! Thanks to it, I had the opportunity to spend six months in the U.S. as a Visiting Student Researcher at the Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence at The Ohio State University. That opportunity changed my life. It helped me grow personally and professionally. What part of your job do you like most? Every day is different from the others: That’s probably what I love most about my job. I enjoy the possibility of learning something new every day, and that my research contributes to the scientific community. I take great pleasure in helping students, supporting them, and acting as a guide and example for them. Also, I like to meet, stay in contact, and collaborate with so many researchers worldwide by speaking the same language—that of science and technology. What is your engineering background? I got my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2017, and my master’s degree in mechanical engineering for design and manufacturing in 2020. Then, after a work experience in a shipbuilding company, I started my Ph.D. in industrial product and process engineering at the University of Naples Federico II, receiving my Ph.D. in January 2024. What attracted you to engineering? The possibility of satisfying my constant curiosity to understand how and why things around me work is what attracted me to engineering. Engineering helped me to learn how to solve problems and develop critical thinking. Best career advice, given or received: Everybody can teach you something; learn from your mistakes; venture outside your comfort zone; and be curious—this is the advice I usually keep in mind and also would give to anyone who is working in research. What are you working on now? Currently, I am a postdoc at the University of Naples Federico II. I am working on sustainability and monitoring of additive manufacturing of both metals and composite materials. In my research, I investigate strategies to produce additively manufactured products that satisfy quality requirements for industrial applications while minimizing their lifecycle environmental impact. Tell us about your involvement with ASM. Last year, I had the honor of participating for the first time at IMAT 2024 as a speaker. I felt like ASM is a place for building new connections and networking with brilliant and experienced people from industry and academia devoted to every aspect of materials science. Also, it is a place where so many initiatives and innovative ideas are shared and evaluated to navigate potential cultural, industrial, and scientific challenges and to transform possibilities into tangible success with the support of an incredible team. Favorite quote? “We must dare to think ‘unthinkable’ thoughts. We must learn to explore all the options and possibilities that confront us in a complex and rapidly changing world.” - J. William Fulbright Do you know someone who should be featured in an upcoming Face of Materials Engineering profile? Contact Vicki Burt at vicki.burt@asminternational.org. Dignitaries celebrate the opening of the new ASM Vizag Chapter in India. Cozzolino CHAPTERS IN THE NEWS India Launches Vizag Chapter The ASM Vizag Chapter is one of the latest additions to ASM International’s global network of local chapters. Based in Andhra Pradesh, India, the chapter serves as a dynamic hub for materials science and engineering professionals. It will focus on fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and healthcare. The new chapter was inaugurated at the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone, a medical device manufacturing park, on November 29, 2024. ASM President Navin Manjooran and Immediate Past President Pradeep Goyal were on hand for the festivities. Goyal recognized the
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