Ceramic Tech Chat The American Ceramic Society

Being a professor requires you to wear many hats, including being a teacher, researcher, mentor, and possibly more. Beth Dickey, Teddy & Wilton Hawkins Distinguished Professor and department head of materials science & engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, describes her work to attract and retain the next generation of materials scientists, including by incorporating data science into university materials science curricula, developing new faculty mentorship programs, and in a variety of leadership roles in The American Ceramic Society.

View the transcript for this episode here.

About the guest
Beth Dickey is the Teddy & Wilton Hawkins Distinguished Professor and department head of materials science & engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research group uses electron microscopy and spectroscopy techniques to develop processing–structure–property relationships for materials in which the macroscopic physical properties are governed by point defects, grain boundaries, or internal interfaces. As 2021–2022 ACerS president, one of Dickey's main goals is to begin implementing the new ACerS strategic plan.

About ACerS
Founded in 1898, The American Ceramic Society is the leading professional membership organization for scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, plant personnel, educators, and students working with ceramics and related materials.

Strategic plans are a crucial tool for businesses to track their progress toward certain goals, but how do you develop a strategic plan? ACerS executive director Mark Mecklenborg and past president Dana Goski share how the new strategic plan for ACerS was developed, its top-level goals, and how the Society will start working with the plan.

View the transcript for this episode here.

About the guests
Mark Mecklenborg is executive director at The American Ceramic Society. Dana Goski is ACerS past president and vice president of research and development at Allied Mineral Products, a global monolithic refractory producer headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Mecklenborg and Goski helped lead the process to develop ACerS’ new strategic plan, which the Board of Directors approved in September 2021. View a high-level overview of the plan at this link, and find ways to get involved with supporting the plan here. Questions? Contact Mecklenborg at mmecklenborg@ceramics.org.

About ACerS
Founded in 1898, The American Ceramic Society is the leading professional membership organization for scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, plant personnel, educators, and students working with ceramics and related materials.

Inspiring research in materials science works best when the information is relatable and easily accessible. Ricardo Castro, professor of materials science and engineering at the University of California, Davis, describes how a jet engine demonstration piqued his interest in ceramics, why he uses superheroes to teach students about materials, and discusses the importance of open-access publishing to facilitating science research.

View the transcript for this episode here.

About the guest
Ricardo Castro is professor of materials science and engineering at the University of California, Davis. His research group focuses on the processing and properties of nanoceramics. He has launched several programs to grow student interest in materials science using superheroes, such as the Engineering Superheroes series. He is also editor-in-chief of ACerS' open-access journal, International Journal of Ceramic Engineering & Science.

About ACerS
Founded in 1898, The American Ceramic Society is the leading professional membership organization for scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, plant personnel, educators, and students working with ceramics and related materials.

While increased innovation is a desirable outcome of a diverse workforce, the compassion and understanding that arise is what will truly help us break down walls and build a better world. Olivia Graeve, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California, San Diego, discusses her life growing up in Tijuana, Mexico, why she believes compassion is the key to a diverse community, and describes her work building bridges between Mexico and the U.S. as director of the CaliBaja Center for Resilient Materials & Systems.

View the transcript for this episode here.

About the guest
Olivia Graeve is professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California, San Diego, and director of the CaliBaja Center for Resilient Materials & Systems. Her research group focuses on the design, development, and manufacturing of materials in extreme environments. The CaliBaja Center is a binational research institute that hosts both research and educational activities to connect students in Mexico and the United States.

About ACerS
Founded in 1898, The American Ceramic Society is the leading professional membership organization for scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, plant personnel, educators, and students working with ceramics and related materials.

Diversifying both energy sources and workforce are necessary as we move toward a sustainable future. Sossina Haile, Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University, discusses her work on fuel cell technology, her experience as an immigrant pursuing science in the United States, and some tips for supporting diversification in both of these areas.

View the transcript for this episode here.

About the guest
Sossina Haile is Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University in Illinois. Her research group focuses on solid-state electric chemistry for sustainable energy purposes. Haile is a member of the ACerS Diversity & Inclusion Subcommittee. Also, learn more about the Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Energy Earthshot to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen.

About ACerS
Founded in 1898, The American Ceramic Society is the leading professional membership organization for scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, plant personnel, educators, and students working with ceramics and related materials.

Sometimes the best way to learn is through doing something yourself. Adelle Schade, director of the Science Research Institute at Albright College, describes the importance of experiential learning in science education, her journey to founding SRI, and some of the student successes from the program so far.

View the transcript for this episode here.

About the guest
Adelle Schade is dean of precollege and summer programs at Albright College in Pennsylvania and director of the Science Research Institute at Albright. She started SRI a little over six years ago at Conrad Weiser High School, and the program has now expanded to Albright College to accommodate more students and teachers. Schade credits the late Ted Day for his "huge" influence on the program.

About ACerS
Founded in 1898, The American Ceramic Society is the leading professional membership organization for scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, plant personnel, educators, and students working with ceramics and related materials.