Standardization News

ASTM Manager Presents at African Standards Organization Event and to College Students

Travis Murdock, a staff manager in technical committee operations at ASTM International, spoke at the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) Webinar on Standards Education on Nov. 30, 2020. Murdock described ASTM’s efforts to promote awareness and education of standards to students throughout
the world. 

In addition to the ARSO session, Murdock made virtual presentations at three different colleges during the fall 2020 semester. 

In October, Murdock spoke to students at Widener University. He presented an overview of ASTM to mechanical engineering seniors. The overview included information on standards and regulation in the mechanical engineering disciplines.

Also in October, Murdock spoke to students at Cooper Union College. He presented an ASTM overview to engineering students as part of Cooper’s green building guidelines, environmental safety course.

Finally, in November, Murdock spoke to Drexel University students in Drexel’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems.

Graduate Scholarship Applications Due in June

The ASTM International Graduate Scholarship program aims to enhance students’ knowledge, understanding, and application of ASTM International and its standards. A $10,000 scholarship is presented each year to as many as four high-potential graduate students who have demonstrated high levels of interest or involvement with ASTM standards. 

The application deadline for the 2021 ASTM International Graduate Scholarships is June 30. Read more.

ASTM International Awards $2,500 in Student Project Grants

ASTM International announced five $500 grants for university students to help with senior or graduate design projects that contain an ASTM International standards component. 

“These grants allow ASTM International to support students who are directly engaging with our standards in real-world scenarios as they work on capstone projects,” said Travis Murdock, academic outreach coordinator and staff manager at ASTM. “The goals of these innovative projects, from accessibility-focused technology to helmet safety, support what we strive to do every day: help the world work better.”

The following students were awarded 2020 project grants:

• Bella Caico and team, Rochester Institute of Technology, who are working on an assistive device that will allow individuals of all abilities to participate in soccer;
• Courtney Ketchum and team, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who are working on a fully implantable bidirectional microperfusion device;
• Stuart Nicholas and team, University of Kentucky, who are working to gather data on equestrian helmets through a project using a lateral compression test;
• Brooke Paccione, Lafayette College, who is working on environmental site assessment, remediation, and development; and 
• Christian Thorpe and team, University of Wisconsin-Madison, who are working on an exoskeleton capable of assisting people suffering from muscular diseases.

Students interested in applying for 2021 grants should submit an abstract, including: 

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

The deadline for submissions is Oct. 31. Read more.

Nominations Welcome for 2021 Professor of the Year Award

Nominations are now being accepted for ASTM International’s 2021 Professor of the Year award. The award, given every other year, recognizes and rewards the contributions of educators in developing students’ understanding of standards. 

A cash award is given to the winning educator and to their university. The deadline for nominations is Aug. 31. To learn more and to nominate a colleague, visit the Professor of the Year page on ASTM International’s website (www.astm.org/studentmember/Professor_Year.html).

Mather Scholarship Applications Now Being Accepted

Applications are now being accepted for the 2021 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 provides up to $7,500 in tuition assistance. Applications are due April 30. For more information, go to www.astm.org/studentmember/images/mather. 

Applications Being Accepted for WISE Program

ASTM International is a long-time sponsor of the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) program. During the internship, which is planned for May 31 through July 31, interns spend their time in Washington, D.C. There they discover how government officials make decisions on complex technological issues while also learning how engineers and scientists can contribute to the legislative process and regulatory decision-making. 

The application deadline to be considered for a WISE internship is Feb. 1. Visit the WISE website (wise-intern.org) for more information and to apply. 

Penn State Group Applies ASTM Standards

The Penn State Theme Park Engineering Group was recently highlighted in a news story written by Courtney McGinley for The Daily Collegian, the university’s student newspaper. The group, established in 2009, is dedicated to learning about the theme park industry. Members apply standards developed by ASTM’s amusement rides and devices committee (F24) to their work. They also attend ASTM meetings to learn more about the development of amusement park standards. Read the Daily Collegian article.