Standardization News

ASTM International President James Thomas announced that three students won $10,000 scholarships for their doctoral studies in fields where technical standards play a crucial role.  The winners were selected from dozens of graduate student applicants in the most competitive round of annual funding ever for this program.

“We are thrilled to support these Ph.D. students who are using ASTM International standards to help fight viruses, to advance nuclear engineering, and to strengthen materials for industries like aerospace,” Thomas said.  “I am confident that they will make major contributions  to their fields and to future standards development.”

David Buckley of Clemson University will use the scholarship to study antimicrobial solutions that can help combat noroviruses, an effort supported by standards from ASTM’s committee on pesticides, antimicrobials, and alternative control agents (E35).  Buckley has worked as a visiting scientist at Procter & Gamble.  He received his bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from East Carolina University.

Mohammad Mahtabi of Mississippi State University will use the scholarship to study the mechanical and fatigue behavior of nickel-titanium alloys (Nitinol), which are used in aerospace and biomedicine.  ASTM’s fatigue and fracture committee (E08) mentored Mahtabi, who presented at an ASTM workshop in 2014.  He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tehran and his master’s from the Iran University of Science and Technology.

Joel Kulesza of the University of Michigan, who is receiving the award for the second year in a row, will concentrate on nuclear engineering.  He is an active member of ASTM committees related to nuclear technology (E10) and homeland security (E54). He earned his bachelor’s in nuclear engineering at the University of Michigan and his master’s from the University of Tennessee.

ASTM has 5,000 student members at all levels of education who pay nothing for membership.  ASTM offers several scholarship and grant opportunities each year. Undergraduate and graduate student members receive a front-row seat to the standards development process, allowing them to network with technical experts and participate in standards discussions. 

For more information on ASTM’s free student membership and academic outreach activities, visit the student member section of ASTM's website or contact Jim Olshefsky (tel +1.610.832.9714).