Standardization News

ASTM Announces 2022 Project Grant Winners

Five university students and teams have been awarded $500 ASTM International project grants. Such grants are offered each year to college students who are working on academic projects that involve standards. The following students and projects have won grants. (Relevant ASTM committees are noted in parentheses.)

The five 2022 winners are:

• Connor Graves (Saginaw Valley State University) Evaluation of forward-looking infrared (FLIR) technology for measurement of the performance of cooling finishes on textiles. (thermal insulation, C16; personal protective clothing and equipment, F23)
   
• Rory Klingensmith (Drexel University) Dynamic assistive walking device for non-weight-bearing injuries. (exoskeletons and exosuits, F48)
   
• Juan Muñoz (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid/Polytechnic University of Madrid – Spain) Residual service life of corroded steel of reinforced concrete in structures, infrastructures, and buildings. (steel, stainless steel and related alloys, A01; fatigue and fracture, E08; mechanical testing, E28; corrosion of metals, G01)
  
   
• Marcela Strane (University of Houston) Characterization of microplastics transport from land applied biosolids to surface water via rainfall runoff. (soil and rock,D18; water, D19; plastics, D20; geosynthetics, D35)
  
   
• Susan Shimanovsky (Stony Brook University) and team, Stony Brook University ASCE concrete canoe. (cement, C01; lime and limestone, C07; concrete and concrete aggregates C09)

WISE Internship Applications

Undergraduate juniors and seniors or recent graduates in engineering are invited to apply to be a part of the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) program. The WISE program is ranked by the Princeton Review as one of the best internship opportunities in the United States. 

This year, ASTM International will sponsor up to two participants in the program. The WISE internship takes place during a nine-week summer session for 12 to 15 engineering students. Interns stay in Washington, D.C., and learn how government decisions are made on technological issues as well as how engineers can contribute to legislative and public policy decisions.

The deadline to apply for the 2023 program is Feb. 1. Apply HERE.

WISE Internship Program Alumni

Throughout ASTM International’s 125th anniversary celebration, Standardization News is looking back on some of the many individuals who received awards, participated in programs, or otherwise contributed to the next generation of standards. In this issue, we highlight two past participants in the WISE internship program.

Dennis C. Frezzo, 1985 WISE Intern

Dennis C. Frezzo, Ph.D., is a learning scientist who works as a senior lecturer at the University of Maryland, College Park, School of Information Studies (iSchool). He currently teaches courses in networking, user-centered design, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the history of the Apollo program, and he is hoping to include cloud computing, cybersecurity, and robotics.

"Participating in the WISE program in 1985 was a tremendous experience. I made a life-long friend. My career interests broadened to many different aspects of the social implications of technology. I am very grateful for the mentorship I received from ASTM and from the WISE program at a formative stage of my career. Participating in WISE with ASTM’s support has influenced my career as a graduate student (three times, as I earned my M.S.E.E., M.A. in education, and Ph.D. in educational psychology); as a development engineer; as a learning scientist developing programs, curricula, software, and games; and as a teacher, instructor, and now university lecturer.”

H. Alex Hsain, 2018 WISE Intern
H. Alex Hsain, Ph.D., is a materials scientist. She holds a doctorate in materials science and engineering from North Carolina State University, where she designed and studied electronic material properties at the atomic scale using highly sensitive analytical techniques. Hsain is interested in designing low-cost and sustainable electronic materials, widening participation in STEM education, and advocating for evidence-based policy for a wide range of technical and non-technical audiences.

“The WISE program opened my eyes to the inner workings of D.C. I completed the WISE program right before starting my Ph.D. in 2018—a pivotal moment for me—as it gave me exposure to the opportunities to look for, and the courage to create opportunities where they didn’t yet exist. While in grad school, I continued to tether engineering to policy. I co-founded a science policy “think tank” with a great group of grad students who shared my interests, and I led our student team to win a policy memo competition in 2020, exploring the topic of paid parental leave and the STEM workforce. Since finishing my Ph.D. in August 2022, I’ve joined McKinsey & Company as an associate in the Charlotte, NC office. Currently at the Firm, I’m bridging the gap between semiconductors and public policy – which just so happen to be two of my favorite topics.” ■