Jenniffer Bustillos – B.S Mechanical Engineering 

Undergraduate researcher Jenniffer Bustillos won fourth place in the Student Speaking Contest.  The contest aimed to encourage students to better their presentation skills as they present about  a technical papers of interest or research performed. Bustillos presented her work on The Synthesis of Photosensitive Polymer/ BNNP Composites via a Stereolithography Printing.

Bustillos also co-chaired the 9th International Symposium on Green and Sustainable Technologies for Materials Manufacturing in Processing, where she presented her work on Multi-scale Mechanical Properties of Biodegradable Mushrooms-based Leather.

Catalina Young – B.S. Mechanical Engineering 

Catalina Young participated in the 2nd American Ceramic Society’s President’s Council of Student Advisors Creativity Competition, submitting her artwork titled UHTCs. The competition challenged the competitors to create ceramic or glass inspired art that conveys scientific concepts. 

Young’s UHTCs depicts a NASA space shuttle with an inset of an SEM image of the ultra high temperature ceramic (UHTC) from her research. “It was inspired by my love of NASA and space, as well as my own research,” she said when asked about the piece. Young won the Viewer’s Choice Award and the Scientific Creativity Award.

Archana Loganathan – Ph. D. Materials Science & Engineering

Participating in the American Ceramic Society’s Ceramographic Exhibit & Competition, Archana Loganathan presented her poster titled “Aluminum cactus”. The competition aims to promote the use of microscopy and microanalysis in investigating ceramics. 
Loganathan’s poster displays SEM images of aluminum oxide spines grown on the fracture surface of ultrasonic cast aluminum grains.  Loganathan won the Ceramographic Competition Award: Second Place in the SEM category.

Sadhana Bhusal – Ph. D. Materials Science & Engineering
Although not at MS&T, it notably worth mentioning Sadhana Bhusal won the International Thermal Spray Association (ITSA) Graduate Student scholarship. The award is given to a student pursuing a postgraduate degree centered in the Thermal Spray Process. Two one-year scholarships worth of $2,000 are awarded annually.