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Student News and Notes, November 2009
Is graduate school in your future?
MatSE juniors and seniors who are thinking of applying to graduate school are invited to attend the department's Graduate School Information Night on Tuesday, November 10, at 5:00 p.m. in room 119 MSEB. Prof. Shim will lead the discussion on what to look for in a graduate program, how to choose an advisor, and answer questions students might have. MatSE graduate students will be on hand to tell students what grad student life is really like. Food will be served. RSVP by Friday, November 6.
Auction a success
Thank you to everyone who donated and bid on items at the Student-Faculty Auction on October 20. The event raised nearly $1,500 for the Material Advantage student chapter.
Congratulations
Robert Shepherd and Jen Hanson were married September 5 in Roseville, MN. Both are completing their PhD degrees in MatSE.
Angus Rockett is the new President-Elect of the AVS Science and Technology Society. He will begin serving his term in early December. Rockett will serve as AVS President beginning in December 2010.
Don To, senior, received a George A. Roberts Scholarship from the ASM Materials Education Foundation. The scholarship provides $6,000 towards educational expenses for one academic year. It is awarded to an outstanding undergraduate student who demonstrates exemplary academic and personal achievements, interest and potential in metallurgy or materials science and engineering, as well as financial need.
Material Advantage news
The new Material Advantage chapter at the University of Illinois was represented at the MS&T ’09 conference in Pittsburgh, October 25-29. Pictured from left to right: Julie Vroman, Stephen Menke (Vice President), Ben Pierce, Alissa Cote, Mike Scarpelli, David Duterte, Caitlin Tribout, Sarah Treece, Matt Seebeck, Don To (President), and Steph Miller.
Material Advantage will have its third general meeting on Thursday, November 12 at 6:00 p.m. in 218 Ceramics. Come and find out what we have planned for the month of November including two volunteer activities. Contact Matt Seebeck at seebeck2@illinois.edu if you are interested in helping with the Thanksgiving Baskets or with CASE Vision Activity Day. Learn more at our meeting.
Calendars for Sale
Attractive 12-month calendar features artistic images from graduate student research in the Department of Materials 
Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois. The calendar includes TEM, SEM, STM, and optical images, as well as images from computer simulations. All black and white images have been enhanced with color, so every month has beautiful, full-color images.
Calendar dimensions are 17” x 11” when fully opened; pages are 8.5” x 11”.
The cost will be $10 if ordered before Thanksgiving and $12 if ordered after. To order your calendar, please place your check (made payable to Corissa Lee) in an envelope marked "MatSE Calendar" and drop it off in the MatSE main office.
For more information about calendar orders, e-mail matsecalendar@gmail.com. The calendar was created by graduate students in the Materials Research Society (MRS) chapter at the University of Illinois.
Help Your Campus Be More Sustainable
The Student Sustainability Committee requests proposals to use the $2 Student Clean Energy Technology Fee and the $5 Sustainability Fee to fund sustainability, energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on campus. Our annual funding capacity is ~$500,000. All projects related to sustainability of the U of I campus will be considered. Projects will be funded as either zero-interest loans or grants. Letters of Inquiry are due November 27.
Information about the Committee, including the complete request for proposals (RFP), can be found at http://sustainability.illinois.edu/ssc
If you have any other questions regarding the application, please contact Suhail Barot, the Student Sustainability Committee Chair at sustainability-committee@illinois.edu.
the CareerWISE Project
If you are a woman working on your PhD in science and engineering, you are invited to participate in CareerWise, an Arizona State University project sponsored by the NSF. The CareerWISE web site helps prepare women graduate students to survive and thrive in STEM fields. You will find dozens of interactive materials on topics commonly faced by women in your field. Learn how to approach your own unique obstacles, and watch hundreds of clips from candid interviews with successful women who encountered similar challenges during their doctoral studies. Go to http://asu.edu/careerwise.
Department of Defense Scholarships
The Department of Defense (DoD) offers scholarships to undergraduate, master's and doctoral students who have demonstrated ability and special aptitude for training in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) fields. The DoD also offers them career opportunities to continue their research as civilian employees of a DoD laboratory after graduation. The Science, Mathematics, And Research for Transformation (SMART) Defense Scholarship for Service Program provides:
- Annual stipend ranging from $22,000-$39,000 depending on prior educational experience
- Full tuition and related education fee
- Book allowance of $1,000
- Paid summer internships
- Career opportunities after graduation
Online applications due December 15. For more information and to apply, go to https://www.asee.org/smart/index.cfm