[sidebar id =1]TRI (The Refractories Institute), comprised of approximately 50 member companies that operate in the refractory industry, awards scholarships annually to college students who are pursuing an education related to refractory science. The four winners of this year’s scholarships are: Michelle Hoffman, Colorado School of Mines; Sunyong Kwon, McGill University; Evan Musterman, Missouri University of Science and Technology; and Elliott Smith, University of Alabama. The academic scholarships are awarded by TRI’s scholarship committee, and are distributed to each student as a one-time grant of $5,000.
Hoffman is pursuing a B.S. in Metallurgy and Materials Engineering at Colorado School of Mines (expected December 2017). She interned at Nucor Steel, aiding the technical services/claims department with customer issues and defect analysis, and completed projects in the melt shop. She was also a research assistant at CSM’s Center for Welding, Joining and Coating Research. She volunteers at schools to help introduce students to materials properties through demonstrations.
Kwon is pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering at McGill University and focuses his studies on refractory corrosion in the steelmaking and glassmaking industries. He holds a Master’s Degree in Materials Engineering from McGill (2015), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Hanyang University in South Korea (2013). In 2016, Kwon interned at the Ceramic Research Center of Tata Steel Ijmuiden in the Netherlands, where he studied the corrosion of Alumina-Carbon refractory.
Musterman is pursuing a B.S. in Ceramic Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology (expected 2018). His experience includes student research assistant at MU, focusing on characterized crystallization behavior of various mold fluxes, analyzing cathodoluminescense and electron microscopy samples, and mechanical tests on cast refractories. He has been president of the Gaffers Guild since 2015, overseeing the development and expansion of production capabilities in the warm glass shop.
Smith is pursuing a B.S. in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alabama (expected 2018). His experience includes interning at Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa, where he learned how to produce steel plate/coil. Rolling mill projects include descale nozzle testing and scale growth comparison research: silicon vs. non-silicon bearing grades.
For more information, visit www.refractoriesinstitute.org