Standardization News

Madden Sciubba from The University of Alabama (above right), on completion of the 2017 Washington Internships for Students in Engineering (WISE) program in August. Sciubba, sponsored by ASTM International, stands next to Travis Murdock, manager, ASTM technical committee operations. As part of her internship, Sciubba researched a technical solution for public policy issues surrounding water infrastructure.

2017 Graduate Scholarships Awarded

Four graduate students each won $10,000 scholarships for their doctoral studies in fields where technical standards play a crucial role. This year’s winners were selected from a competitive pool of 20 applicants.

Patrick McDavid of Michigan State University will use the scholarship to help fund research in distribution packaging, field analysis, and lab simulation. McDavid is an active member of ASTM International’s committee on packaging (D10). He maintained a successful career before pursuing his Ph.D. with a concentration in packaging engineering.

Kien Nguyen of the University of Kansas will use the scholarship to research how to protect steel structures from corrosion. Kien is a student member with connections to ASTM International’s committee on fatigue and fracture (E08). He is interested in finding and filling gaps that exist in standards in his field.

Rakish Shrestha of Auburn University will use the scholarship to continue research in mechanical engineering and materials engineering. Shrestha is a student member with interests in additive manufacturing related to the committees on fatigue and fracture (E08) as well as medical and surgical materials and devices (F04).

Aref Yodallahi of Mississippi State University will use the scholarship to continue experimental and numerical investigations on fatigue behavior of additively manufactured materials. He is a student member with an active role in ASTM International’s committee on fatigue and fracture (E08) and is pursuing his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.

ASTM International has 5,000 student members at all levels of education who pay nothing for membership. 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. In addition, ASTM offers scholarship and grant opportunities each year.

Visit the student and professors pages for more information on free student membership and academic outreach activities, or contact Travis Murdock (tel +1.610.832.9826).

ANSI Announces 2018 Student Paper and Video Competition: “Standards in a Changing World”

The American National Standards Institute, in conjunction with its Committee on Education, has announced its seventh annual student paper competition as part of its ongoing efforts to spread awareness among postsecondary students of the strategic significance of standards and conformance. The challenge requires applicants to submit a video or paper that reflect the 2018 theme: “Standards in a Changing World.”

Contest submissions can take one of two forms: a paper (maximum 2,000 words) or a video (maximum 2 minutes). Participants may enter both categories, but an individual can only win one category. All entries will be reviewed by top-level industry experts, and winning papers will be published on ANSI.org, StandardsBoostBusiness.org, StandardsLearn.org, and potentially in other media outlets. Winning submissions will be read by members of the standards community, including experts in government, industry, professional societies, and academic institutions.

Entries must be submitted by college or university student(s) at the associate, undergraduate, or graduate level enrolled in a U.S. academic institute of higher learning. The competition is open to both full- and part-time students of all disciplines.

A cash prize will be awarded to the first place winner in each category. ANSI reserves the right to award no prizes based on the determination of the judges. Winners will be announced in June 2018.

For submission criteria, go to the ANSI 2018 Student Paper Competition flyer. Email entries (for videos, provide unlisted YouTube link only) by 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, April 27, 2018, to lrajchel@ansi.org.