Standardization News

UTEC Student Chapter Launches in Peru, Holds First Event

A new ASTM International student chapter launched March 4 at UTEC, the Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología, in Lima, Peru. More than 30 UTEC students, faculty, and ASTM representatives attended the virtual meeting to launch and celebrate the new chapter.

The chapter, which has already grown to 45 members and represents most of the UTEC schools, has also held its first event, an April 15 panel discussion with several speakers about precast concrete. The panel drew 100 attendees and was moderated by Luis Bedriñana, Ph.D., a UTEC assistant professor and the chapter’s faculty adviser.

At the launch, ASTM International president Katharine Morgan welcomed the participants. “When I looked at the UTEC website ahead of the meeting, I saw that UTEC asks their students, ‘Are you ready to change the world? Are you ready to develop the engineering of the future?’ At ASTM, we have an equally high calling,” she said. She added that she looks forward to working together.

“This will push the frontier of knowledge more and more,” said Carlos Heeren, UTEC executive director, in his opening remarks. “Our collaboration will be mutually beneficial for the next generation.”

The chapter will also provide students the opportunity to learn more about using standards as well as being part of the standards development process. Bedriñana said that more and better solutions are needed for today’s engineering challenges and that international standards provide an important part of addressing them. The chapter will further build a foundation for UTEC students to solve engineering problems.

The chapter president, Diego Gonzales, a civil engineering student, said that the chapter will raise awareness, which will be further enhanced by the chapter’s initial program. Expert lectures and contests will be part of the chapter’s work as well.

UTEC Student Chapter members are ASTM student members and can apply for student project grants and other academic awards offered by ASTM International. The chapter is sponsored by the the precast concrete products committee (C27). 

The launch event also included presentations by Giancarlo Flores, Ph.D., director of the UTEC civil engineering department; Maria Isabel Barrios, ASTM Latin America representative; and Lissy Velez, ASTM program manager for business development. James Olshefsky, ASTM’s director of external relations, hosted the launch.

Student Project Grants

ASTM International offers $500 grants for university students to help with senior or graduate design projects that contain an ASTM 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.”

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 HERE.

Standards Curricula Development Funding Available

Applications are sought for funding to aid the development of undergraduate- and/or graduate-level curricula that includes documentary standards, standards development, and standardization information in seminars, modules, courses, and learning resources. The Standards Services Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program, from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, seeks applications from accredited institutions of higher education in the United States or its territories.

Eligible applicants may work individually or include proposed sub-awards or contracts with other U.S. colleges and universities, nonprofits, and commercial organizations. Applicants are evaluated on their ability to meet criteria in four major categories: technical project approach and methodology; communications plan; staffing; and resource availability. The deadline to submit an application for consideration is June 1. Learn more.

2021 WISE Intern Chosen

Kennedy Brown, a junior civil engineering major at the University of Vermont, will be sponsored by ASTM International in this year’s Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) program. After completing her undergraduate degree, Brown plans to continue her education at the university in an accelerated master’s program in civil and environmental engineering. She would like to work as a water resource engineer and eventually in international water policy. 

The WISE program, which this year will run virtually from the end of May through July, involves engineering students in a nine-week internship. Participants learn how U.S. government officials make decisions on technological issues as well as how engineers and scientists — and standards — contribute to the legislative process and regulatory decision-making. In her WISE project, Brown will focus on water access, sanitation, and hygiene policies, and how they function in extracting, purifying, and allocatin water resources. 

MoU Partner Training

Travis Murdock, ASTM International’s academic outreach coordinator and a staff manager, presented the first of a series of trainings for ASTM’s memorandum of understanding partners on April 6, providing them with an overview of ASTM’s academic outreach and Emerging Professionals programs. 

Maria Jiverage, global cooperation manager at ASTM, moderated and facilitated a question-and-answer session at the end of the presentation. 

In all, 39 registrants attended, representing partners from Angola; Jordan; Malawi; Mauritius (mostly staff and students from the University of Mauritius); Moldova; Rwanda; and the United States. 

Professor of the Year Nominations Requested

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 a broader understanding of standards.

A cash award is given to the winning educator and their university. The deadline for nominations is Aug. 31. Learn more and nominate a colleague.