The ASM International Student Speaking Symposium was a big success for Sylvie Crowell, a senior in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. Created by ASM Student Board Members, graduate and undergraduate students create five-minute videos showcasing their research projects, upload the videos to the ASM International YouTube channel, and are evaluated by a panel of judges.

Sylvie’s presentation, “Characterization of Sintering and Aging Behavior of Silver Nanoparticle Ink for Aerosol Printing” was awarded first place in the undergraduate division and a $1000 award. Working with Research Associate Professor and VA APTC Investigator, Janet Gbur, Sylvie aims to develop fabrication and characterization methods for aerosol printing of flexible circuits. “Our group at CWRU and at the Advanced Platform Technology (APT) Center could not be more proud of Sylvie and her accomplishments. Her work for the VA will help us understand key aspects of the inks used to create these easily customizable, aerosol-printed circuits for flexible electronics and ultimately for medical devices.”

Sylvie’s research specifically sought to better understand how the silver nanoparticle ink used in the aerosol printer changes over time and how it reacts to being sintered at various temperatures and times. She will be continuing this work through her master’s thesis with Dr. Gbur and Professor John Lewandowski via the BS/MS dual degree program. The project requires expertise from a variety of fields in order to develop successful devices and relies on core facilities such as the Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Reliability Center (AMMRC), the Advanced Manufacturing for Biotechnology (AMB), and the Swagelok Center for Surface Analysis of Materials (SCSAM).

"I am honored to have won first place in the Undergraduate Student category for the ASM Student Speaking Symposium! I am especially excited to have received this award because of the serendipity of my past connection to ASM. I attended the 2017 Eisenman Materials Camp at ASM International and that was what initially sparked my interest in engineering.” says Sylvie, “I would like to thank ASM International, the APT Center, and the CWRU Department of Materials Science and Engineering for forging the career path I am on now and helping me find my passion for materials science!"