HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 54 Matteo Carcassi University of Michigan Matteo Carcassi is a senior studying materials science and engineering physics at the University of Michigan. His expertise is primarily in semi-conductors, performing research in colloidal quantum dots and studying highly mismatched alloys such as GaAsN through DFT and ion beam analysis. He also has experience in the semiconductor industry, interning as an applications engineer at KLA. Carcassi is the current president of the university’s Material Advantage organization and will be serving on the President’s Council of Student Advisors of ACerS. After graduation he will pursue a Ph.D. in materials science and aims to begin a career in semiconductors. Erik DeMeyere Iowa State University of Science & Technology Erik DeMeyere is a senior studying materials science and engineering at Iowa State University. He serves as president of the university’s Material Advantage chapter and conducts research at Ames National Laboratory, focusing on developing reactor materials for fusion energy systems and advancing metal additive manufacturing. DeMeyere has also completed internships at Collins Aerospace, ATI Specialty Alloys & Components, and the Kansas City National Security Campus, where he contributed to projects involving advanced manufacturing, development of materials for harsh environments, and high-reliability materials. He plans to pursue a career in fusion energy research and development after graduation. Leo Liu University of Wisconsin-Madison Leo Liu is a senior majoring in materials science and engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and serves as the membership chair for his local chapter of Material Advantage/American Foundry Society. He began his research journey in a battery research lab where he gained experience with lab techniques and building solvent libraries. He later shifted his focus to polymers and joined a polymeric lab where he works on synthesizing and characterizing covalent adaptable networks. After graduation Liu plans to pursue a master’s degree to continue research on energy-relevant and sustainable polymer materials. SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS Adriana Lozano-Garcia Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia Adriana Lozano-Garcia is a senior materials engineering student at Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia in Mexico. She is currently completing a summer internship at Nucor-JFE in the metallurgy department as part of the AIST Foundation Steel Intern Scholarship-Premier. The first Mexican student to receive this prestigious award, she was also part of the winning team in the HTS Strong Bar Competition. As treasurer of her local materials student chapter, she organizes technical visits and outreach activities to promote materials science among students. Ryan McGinnis Colorado School of Mines Ryan McGinnis is a senior studying metallurgical and materials engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. He performs research on the fracture behavior and gas separation performance of ceramic membranes for hydrogen production at the Colorado Center for Advanced Ceramics and has completed internships at SSAB Iowa, ASM International, and Mercury Plastics. A teaching assistant for multiple classes, McGinnis also serves as chair of outreach efforts for the school’s Material Advantage chapter. After graduation he plans to pursue a Ph.D. centering on fracture mechanics and work toward a professorship in materials. Acta Materialia Scholarships The Acta Materialia Scholarships were established in 2017 by Acta Materialia through its Board of Governors as an expression of commitment to education and the materials science and engineering community. Two scholars will each receive a certificate and check for $5000 toward educational expenses for one academic year. Evan Birky Iowa State University Evan Birky is a junior majoring in materials engineering at Iowa State University. He is a member of the university’s chapter of Material Advantage, where he serves as the risk management chair. Birky is employed by Ames National Laboratory, where he assists Iver Anderson, FASM, with graduate research in his powder group. He completed two summer internships
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