Alfred University senior ceramic engineering major wins McMahon Achievement Award

Gabrielle Gaustad ’04, dean of the Inamori School of Engineering at Alfred University, presented Guariglia with the award, which includes a cash prize, prior to Thursday’s John F. McMahon Memorial Lecture. Guariglia, a Valley Stream South High School graduate, is the son of Philip and Yvonne Guariglia. He was recognized for his co-op work at Morgan Advanced Materials, in Fostoria, OH.

Following the awards presentation, the McMahon Lecture was presented by Susan Sinnott, professor and head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University. In her lecture, on “Atomistic Simulations to Advance Surface Science,” Sinnott discussed third-generation charge-optimized many body (COMB3) potential. The presentation provided an overview of the COMB3 potential and illustrated its utility in the study of water-metal surface and nanoparticle interactions, the examination of carbon nanoparticle-metal surface interactions, and the mechanisms associated with the growth of metal films on metallic and oxide substrates.

Sinnott earned a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Iowa State University. She went on to be a National Research Council Postdoctoral Associate at the Naval Research Laboratory. In addition to serving as head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State, Sinnott also holds a faculty appointment in the Department of Chemistry.

Sinnott was presented with the John F. McMahon Memorial Lecture Award, presented annually to an outstanding ceramic engineer. The award was created by alumni in honor of the late John F. McMahon, an alumnus, professor, and dean of what is now the Inamori School of Engineering.