Symposium showcases graduate research in materials science and engineering

Oakdale, PA – The Annual Materials Science & Engineering Graduate Symposium, held recently at Carnegie Mellon University, has seen an impressive increase in the number of presentations and support from the scientific community since it was launched three years ago, according to Michael Bockstaller, PhD, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Carnegie Mellon and organizer of the event.

“Our first symposium in 2008 was a half-day event to showcase graduate student research, but our goal even then was to ultimately create a dynamic academic event here at Carnegie Mellon that attracts the best and the brightest graduate students, as presenters or as attendees, from across the country,” he says.

The full-day 2011 symposium featured 18 oral presentations, 15 poster presentations, and continued corporate sponsorship in the form of a grant from Goodfellow Corporation, which specializes in supplying research quantities of high-quality metals, polymers, ceramics and other materials to universities and other research facilities.

“I and most of my colleagues at Goodfellow have materials science or related backgrounds ourselves, so we understand the excitement that comes from breaking new ground in our chosen field,” says Rick LaMar, the Goodfellow technical specialist who attended the event. “It’s a privilege and a pleasure to support the hard work of these talented young scientists,” he adds.

The 5th Annual Materials Science & Engineering Graduate Symposium will take place at Carnegie Mellon University in the spring of 2012.