Jonathan Pitt, M. S., EMch, presented a paper titled "Electrochemical Model of Activity Transport in Pressurized Water Reactors" at the 13th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 13), held in Beijing, China, May 16-20, 2005. Mr. Pitt's paper was selected as one of the best which earned him an honor that was given to only eight out of the fifty-three students who attended the conference.

Mr. Huidong Gao, doctoral student in Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM), has received a 2005 American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) Fellowship Award for the nondestructive testing research of "An Optimized Sensor Grid for Structural Health Monitoring of Modern Aircraft". Mr. Gao received B.S. and M.S. degrees from Nanjing University, China. His current research focuses on ultrasonic guided wave based structural health monitoring technologies and is being performed in the Engineering Science and Mechanics Department's Non Destructive Evaluation (NDE) Laboratory under the direction of Professor Joseph Rose.

Mr. Gao will be recognized during the Annual Awards Banquet during the ASNT 2005 Fall Conference and Quality Testing Show in Columbus, Oh, October 17-21, 2005.

Benjamin Ross, Engineering Science junior, has been awarded a 2005 Undergraduate Summer Discovery grant to support his research project titled Nano-Engineered Elliptical Polarization Filter.

The $2,500 grant is provided by Penn State's Office of Undergraduate Education and is supported by an endowment from the Penn State Alumni Association and funding from the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and International Programs.

Mr. Ross is conducting his research under the direction of Professor A. Lakhtakia.

Please congratulate Benjamin on his success.

We are pleased to announce Ms. Katherine Weaver as the 2005 Engineering Science Commencement Student Marshal. Dr. Akhlesh Lakhtakia will serve as the Department's Faculty Marshal.

In addition to her outstanding grade point average, Ms. Weaver's academic career includes her participation in the Society of Women in Engineering, Phi Sigma Rho ,the Society of Engineering Science, and Tau Beta Pi. She was the recipient of a Barry Goldwater Goldwater Research Scholarship and the Engineering Science and Mechanics Kearns-McNitt Service Award. She was recently awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Award.

Ms. Weaver is enrolled in the Schreyer Honors College Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate Program and will complete a Master's degree during 2005-06. Thereafter, she plans to pursue a doctoral degree.

Ms. Weaver is the daughter of James and Marily Weaver of Rochester, NY, where she attended the Irondequoit High Schoool.

Please extend your heartiest congratulations to Katherine on her contributions and successes.