Laura Chramer The University of Alabama Career Center
Claire Belson AMUG Scholarship
Claire Belson, Guy E. Bourdeau Scholarship recipient
The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) has today announced this year’s recipients of its Guy E. Bourdeau and Randy Stevens Scholarships.
Claire Belson, a chemical engineering student at the University of Alabama has received the Bourdeau Scholarship, awarded annually to one college student for additive manufacturing education and professional development. While, Dr Haijun Gong, an assistant professor at Georgia Southern University, has been awarded the Stevens Scholarship, received annually by one teacher or professor that focuses on additive manufacturing.
With these recognitions, Ms Belson and Dr Gong will attend and participate in the AMUG Conference, which will be held in Chicago, Illinois between March 19-23 2017.
“We are very excited to have Dr Gong and Ms Belson attend the 2017 conference as scholarship recipients, selected from a strong field of candidates,” said Steve Deak, AMUG President. “These individuals are extremely dynamic in their pursuit of additive manufacturing applications and represent the future of our industry. AMUG members will certainly benefit from learning about their vision for AM, while both scholarship recipients will gain industry-specific application perspectives from conference participants.”
Claire Belson, the recipient of the Guy E Bourdeau Scholarship, was selected for her passion, professionalism, skills and willingness to share her knowledge. Pursuing a dual degree, both a B.S. and M.S. in chemical engineering, Belson has participated as an undergraduate researcher, a sub-team leader of the university’s EcoCAR team, and a student employee in the College of Engineering’s innovation area known as the Cube. Attending this year’s AMUG Conference as part of her Scholarship, Belson was also in attendance at last year’s event as an Emerson co-op, where she will return this summer for another internship.
“Attending AMUG 2017 would be an awesome opportunity for me because I would be able to pass on all the knowledge that I would gain to my university, my future employers and to the next generation of additive manufacturing engineers,” Belson said. “(Last year’s) AMUG Conference helped me to evaluate companies and equipment in order to make wise recommendations to senior management regarding potential purchases and what would be best for their needs.”
Laura Chramer The University of Alabama Career Center
Dr Huijun Gong AMUG Scholarship
Dr. Haijun Gong, Randy Stevens Scholarship recipient
The AMUG Scholarship Committee selected Dr Gong for his extensive experience, current research, and transfer of that knowledge to the students that he teaches. Dr Gong, who believes AM is not only a manufacturing method for complex metal parts, but also a metallurgy technique of exploring new alloys, is currently conducting research in partnership with 3DSIM. This research is exploring the simulation, optimisation and physical phenomena of laser melting processes. Additionally, he has completed an NSF proposal to acquire a metal additive manufacturing machine to further research and education at the university.
His colleagues at Georgia Southern University believe AMUG have made a great choice for the Randy Stevens Scholarship.
“Dr Gong is well-versed in the area of additive manufacturing and has the skills to apply that experience to research and education at the intersection of unique materials and AM processes,” said Dr Daniel Cox, professor and founding chair of the Department of Manufacturing Engineering at Georgia Southern University. “(He) is also a great teacher and has shown excellent mentoring and teaching skills. He has what it takes to succeed in the three areas of faculty scholarship: research, teaching and service. Dr Gong is well prepared to lead a successful research programme in AM as he knows how to conceive and prepare research proposals and he has successfully turned his research into numerous publications.”
