Abstracts due Feb. 7, 2025 // Presentations due March 7, 2025
The IJMC/FEF Student Research Competition empowers top undergraduate college students to showcase their metalcasting research projects at CastExpo 2025. Winners earn scholarships and are published in the International Journal of Metalcasting. All submissions are judged by a leading panel comprised of the AFS Research Board and officers of the AFS Technical Council. Up to $4,000 in total scholarships will be awarded.
Presentation details & Guidelines
- Entries consist of narrated PowerPoint presentations reflecting a student’s or group’s research. Presentations must include: Abstract, Introduction, Objectives, Testing Methodology, Results, Conclusions, and References.
- Narration should be recorded in PowerPoint and explain the project and its conclusions as presented in the slides, similar to a live research presentation.
- Students must use the PowerPoint template provided at www.afsinc.org/ijmc-fef-student-research-competition.
- Select entrants will be invited to showcase their projects live on the show floor at CastExpo 2025 on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. Students will field questions from judges.
- Submit your presentation title, abstract, and names of participating students no later than Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. Final presentations are due no later than Friday, March 7, 2025. Submit abstracts and presentation PowerPoints to bwallace@afsinc.org. Please include participant names, project title, and college/university in your email message.
Qualifications
- Open to North American citizens who are undergraduate students currently enrolled in metalcasting-related programs.
- Applicants must be registered with FEF, have a current student membership with AFS, and be enrolled in the current academic year.
- Entries must represent current or recent undergraduate-level work performed by the student(s) in metalcasting technology or molten metal processing.
- Group projects are permitted. Each student may enter only one submission. Groups will split scholarship money.
- All presenting students must register and attend CastExpo 2025 (April 12-15, 2025) in Atlanta, GA. CastExpo registration is complimentary for student members. Students must be available for presentations and a live Q&A with judges at CastExpo on Saturday, April 12, 2025.
If you have questions, please email Bo Wallace, AFS Senior Technical Associate, at bwallace@afsinc.org.
| Judging Criteria | Points |
| Technical Content: Completeness of work, interpretation of work, and results, analysis, discussion, references/bibliography. Sufficiency of data to validate conclusions. | 40 |
| Relevance: Industry Involvement with the research and applicability to the metalcasting industry. | 30 |
| Innovation: Originality of ideas, concepts or approach. | 20 |
| Presentation: Overall style is effective. Information is concise and logically organized. | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
2024 WINNERS
1st place
- Carol Martinez, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, “Low-Cost Surface Alloying of Brass to Improve Corrosion Resistance in Chlorine and Chloramine Rich Environments”
2nd place
- Chase Schroeder, Missouri S&T, “Understanding the Effect of Boron on Graphite Nodulartiy and Distribution in Ductile Iron Castings"
3rd place
- Ana Sofia Diaz-Santos, University of California-Irvine, "Application of Ultrasonic Processing on Sand Cast Aluminum Mechanical Properties"