Bryan Webler wins ASM International’s Computational Materials Data Network (CMD Network) 2015 ASM Materials Genome Toolkit Competition

ASM’s CMD Network awards computational materials design software to six engineering schools.

Materials Park, Ohio (May 12, 2015) – ASM International’s Computational Materials Data Network (CMD Network) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2015 ASM Materials Genome Toolkit competition. Six engineering schools – comprised of the University of Maryland, Michigan Tech, Cal-Poly Pomona, Carnegie Mellon, Virginia Tech, and Alfred University – have been selected by a review committee to receive state-of-the-art materials modeling software for use in undergraduate education and enrichment. The winning schools will be recognized at the Materials Science & Technology 2015 meeting held October 4-8 in Columbus, Ohio.

To enter the competition, schools were required to submit a proposal stating how they planned to integrate the software into their undergraduate curriculum and how they would use it in the context of the ASM Undergraduate Design Competition. Winners were chosen based on how well their proposal balanced the use of the software between theory and application as it is critical to the success of the Materials Genome initiative to have graduates proficient in both areas. Each of the selected schools will receive the 2015 ASM Materials Genome Toolkit consisting of a three-year, multi-user license to a package of tools from Thermo-Calc Software, including their latest thermodynamic and DICTRA diffusion codes along with the TC-PRISMA precipitation simulator. The package also includes access to several thermodynamic and mobility databases and a variety of software development kits. An equivalent software package has also been awarded to the Colorado School of Mines, one of the top seven finishers in the toolkit competition, under the auspices of the Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT) consortium.

“This program will provide students at the selected schools with access to powerful tools that will enable them to gain the skills to shape future of science-based materials engineering,” stated Professor Gregory B. Olson, FASM, Northwestern University, QuesTek Innovations LLC, and ASM Computational Materials Engineering Committee chair. “The winning schools will be able to turn out strong graduates in important areas for growth and have a competitive edge over other schools with similar programs.”

The concept of the toolkit program was introduced in 2009 by ASM Foundation’s Action in Education Committee (AEC) and its subcommittee, Computational Materials Engineering. With its mission “to be the catalyst in facilitating the adoption of computational tools for materials science curricula in the U.S. and beyond” the committee identified the first priority toolset, established the requirements for participation, and negotiated with Thermo-Calc Software, which generously offered an 85% discount on a set of tools worth $1.6 million. After a successful 3-year pilot program at Michigan Technological University, the balance of the funding ($240,000) was secured through the NIST-sponsored Center for Hierarchical Materials Design (CHiMaD), a 5-year MGI development initiative led by Northwestern University.

The ASM Materials Genome Toolkit competition is the first of three made possible by the NIST CHiMaD Center. Over the next two years, six more winners will be selected by members of the ASM Foundation’s AEC subcommittee on Computational Materials Engineering.

About CMD Network
Founded by ASM International, the Computational Materials Data Network (CMD Network) supports, facilitates, and promotes the collection, dissemination, and management of materials data. Launched in response to the U.S. Materials Genome Initiative, the network aims to advance materials development and deployment by facilitating information sharing within the materials community. For more information or to get involved, visit the CMD Network website.

About ASM International
As the world’s largest association of metals-centric materials engineers and scientists, ASM International is dedicated to informing, educating, and connecting the materials community. A member and volunteer based organization, ASM serves as a central resource that gathers the latest applied information from the field and disseminates it back to industry, academia, and government through published content, classes, conferences, expositions, and local chapter engagement. To learn more about ASM International, visit www.asminternational.org