In spring 2018, the Professor Abraham Clearfield Materials Science Scholarship was established, which honors Clearfield for his role in starting materials science and engineering education and his research efforts at Texas A&M.
The 2021 Professor Abraham Clearfield Materials Science Scholarship has been presented to five students in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University. This scholarship is awarded to incoming and current undergraduate students who have demonstrated resilience and excellence in academics, outreach, and selfless service through the broader outreach mission of the materials science and engineering program.
Meet the students below:
Chinwe Akuechiama
Akuechiama’s interests in corrosion physics, polymers, and ceramics led her to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. This scholarship will allow her to take various courses without worrying about how to pay for them. In the future, she would like to integrate her materials education into the medical or business fields. Akuechiama serves as the academic excellence chair of the National Society of Black Engineers and is a member of the Aggie Career Team, the MSEN Ambassadors, and Maroon and White Leadership fellows.
Marisol Hernandez Jaimes
Hernandez Jaimes is a first-generation college student. She will start her undergraduate degree in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 2021. Having worked a part-time job ever since she was in high school, this scholarship will help focus her attention on her studies. Hernandez Jaimes is excited about the possibility of conducting graduate research investigating novel applications for existing materials.
Carolina Martinez
Martinez is a first-generation Texas A&M student. When she started her undergraduate studies, she was interested in chemical engineering but soon discovered she was more interested in the materials science and engineering program after meeting with the advisor and learning about the educational opportunities within the department. She has conducted research in energy storage and thermal management in phase change materials at the Army Research Laboratory. She plans to get a master’s degree in materials science and engineering and is grateful that this scholarship will help her achieve her academic goals.
Joseph Messmer
Messmer is from Colorado, and this scholarship has relieved some of his financial stresses, allowing him to focus on his research interests in composites and corrosion science. He would like to study quantum computing and pursue a degree in management in the future. Messmer has interned at the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane through the X-Force fellowship program. He is currently serving as director of logistics and operations for the MSC Spencer Leadership Conference, where he aims to capture the interests of high school and first-year students in materials science.
Tanmay Shah
Shah is originally from India and joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in spring 2020. His research interests include mathematics, chemistry, and the properties of soft matter. Shah is a career readiness officer in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets and a plans commander in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. After graduation, he plans to be a pilot in the United States Air Force (USAF) and credits this scholarship in helping him successfully continue his academic career while allowing him to reach his professional goals in the USAF.