Share Tweet Share Email

NIU mechanical engineering student honored by Chicago American Society of Metals chapter

April 20, 2013
Justin Whiting

Justin Whiting

Mechanical Engineering undergraduate Justin Whiting received the ASM Chicago Regional Chapter Award, given to only one student a year.

Facing competition from students representing other engineering schools in the Chicago area, it is a great honor for Whiting.

According to the American Society of Metals, “the Chicago Regional Chapter Award recognizes and encourages students to pursue careers in the materials science and metallurgical engineering at any of the educational institutions in the Chicago region. The award is for $1000 and goes directly to the student.”

“I think it speaks to the quality of students we have,” said Federico Sciammarella, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, “who not only get good grades, but are very active in making things happen at this level.”

Under the direction of Sciammarella, Whiting has been working on a material testing project which gave him the experience and exposure needed to qualify for the award. The project involves non-destructive testing through acoustic emission, which means that the energy that results from the testing reflects the change in material removal.

American Society of Metals International logo“It is an honor to be selected for the ASM International Chicago Regional Chapter Award. I am so very grateful that ASM has programs like this. I believe it really drives students to go the extra mile,” Whiting said.

“While good grades are important and rewarding alone, programs like this really drive students, such as myself, to immerse themselves in happenings outside of academia,” he added. “Additionally, I owe much of the credit to Dr. Sciammarella. It was his Materials Science course that exposed me to the world of materials engineering and the ASM organization. I consider myself lucky to be able to assist in any research at NIU, but consider it especially advantageous to be able to work on projects with a professor like Dr. Sciammarella.”