MSE starting-senior Ms. Natalie Crutchfield is one of the recipients of the 2021 George A. Roberts Scholarship award from ASM Material Education Foundation. The award carries a certificate of recognition and $6,000 cash award towards education expenses for one academic year. Natalie was nominated by Dr. Mukhopadhyay from the MSE dept. for the scholarship award.
Four scholarships of $6,000 each are awarded to undergraduate students majoring in metallurgy or materials science engineering who has demonstrated a string academic emphasis and interest in materials science. The scholarships are awarded to outstanding undergraduate members of ASM at the junior or senior level who demonstrate exemplary academic and personal achievements, and interest and potential in metallurgy or materials science and engineering. The ASM Undergraduate scholarships are intended to encourage and support capable students with interest and potential in the field of metallurgy/materials engineering and related careers.
Established in 1995 through a generous contribution by Dr. George A. Roberts, past president of ASM and retired CEO of Teledyne, as an expression of his commitment to education and the materials science and engineering community.
The ASM Materials Education Foundation provides for the advancement of scientific and engineering knowledge through its support of education and research. The Foundation introduces a hands-on curriculum to provide educators with the tools to increase student engagement and expand the traditional classroom experience. The experiential, holistic learning experience the Foundation provides prepares future professionals for a variety of career paths by creating an understanding of scientific concepts within traditional technological career tracts and offering hands-on experience for traditional academic tracts.
Natalie is currently pursuing her undergraduate research in biomaterials and microbiology. She has participated in research since her freshman year and worked in biomaterials, computer modeling, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering. Natalie wants to pursue a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering after graduating and develop medical devices and therapies. She enjoys materials science because it is diverse and interdisciplinary, which allows her to collaborate with and learn from other research groups. Natalie recently participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF-REU) in the summer at the University of Georgia (Athens, GA), where she worked with Prof. Handa to publish a paper on biomaterials research.