Standardization News

ASTM International Pharmaceutical Committee Meets at Purdue

ASTM International’s committee on manufacture of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products (E55) met at Purdue University, Oct. 23-25, 2018. The meeting began with a joint LyoHub/E55 workshop, Lyophilization and Future of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing. The workshop included presentations focused on the fundamentals, best practices, regulatory science, emerging technologies, approaches to biopharmaceuticals, and future industry perspective of lyophilization (freeze-drying). Presenters included LyoHUB staff and members, Purdue University faculty, FDA, Baxter, IMA Life, Pfizer, AbbVie, NIIMBL; attendees included university students, E55 members, and other interested organization representatives.

Following the workshop there was a student poster session at the Birck Nanotechnology Center. Awards were presented to poster session winners during a networking dinner. The activities helped stimulate the E55 committee meetings that followed, which were held at the Indiana Manufacturing Institute.

Arnab Ganguly, chair of ASTM’s subcommittee on lyophilization (freeze drying) speaks during the Lyophilization and Future of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing workshop held at Purdue University in October. 

ASTM International Graduate Scholarship

ASTM International is now accepting applications for its graduate scholarship. The ASTM International Graduate Scholarship is presented each year to as many as four high potential graduate students, contingent on merit and available funds. The scholarship rewards graduate students who have demonstrated high levels of interest in or involvement with ASTM International standards. Each scholarship winner receives $10,000 for educational expenses. Applications are due April 30.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Travis Murdock
tel +1.610.832.9714
tmurdock@astm.org
www.astm.org/studentmember/Student_Awards

ANSI 2019 Student Paper Competition

The American National Standards Institute and its Committee on Education have announced its 2019 Student Paper Competition. To help foster greater awareness about the importance of standardization, the paper competition asks students to answer, “How do standards help mitigate disaster?”

Papers should consider how standards have contributed to the mitigation, prevention, relief, or recovery of various disasters. Authors can pick a real-life disaster and describe standards that helped get things back on track, as well as potential standards that could have provided additional assistance. Students can also make up a disaster scenario. In either case, specific standards should be referenced. Papers should include references to multiple types of standards and standard developing organizations.

For submission criteria, go to the ANSI 2019 Student Paper Competition flyer at share.ansi.org/Shared Documents/Education and Training/Committee on Education/2019 Student Paper Competition Flyer.pdf. All entries must be submitted by 5 p.m. ET, on April 30 to lrajchel@ansi.org. Winning papers will be announced in June 2019.

ASTM International Awards Project Grants

Recognizing that students sometimes need financial assistance in completing graduate or senior capstone design projects, ASTM International annually offers a limited number of $500 grants to university students to help with projects that feature an ASTM standards component.

The following students have won 2018 project grants:

• Haoyang Chen et al., Drexel University – Auditory-Visual Substitution Device for Blind Chemistry Students,
• Victoria Utria et al., Drexel University — Simulator Model for Training Cesarean Sections in Developing Countries,
• Shaswat Das, Government College of Engineering (India) — Incorporation of Ultrafine Rice Husk Ash (URHA) geopolymer concrete,
• Haley Schappell et al., Rowan University — Vial Shield Design, and
• Kathryn Khaw et al., University of Pennsylvania — Soft Robotic Glove for assistive and at-home Rehabilitation.

Students who want to apply for 2019 project grants should submit an abstract describing
their project, including:

• Summary of the project goal,
• List of ASTM standards that are being considered to achieve that goal,
• Declaring of intent to submit an application paper for publication by ASTM on completion
  of project, and
• Statement of endorsement by a faculty member.

Deadline for submission is Oct. 31. More information on project grants can be found here.

Mather Scholarship

Applications are now being accepted for the 2019 ASTM International Katharine and Bryant Mather Scholarship. Full-time undergraduate students completing their second/sophomore years of college (or later) or graduate students (specializing in cement or concrete materials technology) from any country are eligible to apply. The scholarship awards up to $7,500 in tuition assistance. Applications are due April 30. Click here for more information.

Professor of the Year

ASTM International is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Professor of the Year award. ASTM established the award to recognize and reward the contributions of educators in developing students’ understanding of standards.

Candidates for the award can include professors and instructors at an accredited university worldwide who have demonstrated outstanding use of ASTM standards in their teaching.

Cash awards will be given to the winning educator and their respective university. Deadline for nominations is August 31, 2019. Click here for more information.

On November 19, Manager of Technical Committee Operations Travis Murdock (4th from left) presented on ASTM International, biomedical standards, and student membership at Drexel University today as part of their BioMed Senior Design course. Also in photo is Dr. Wan Shih (third from left) and her students.