Alfred University students are gaining hands-on research experience, exploring career possibilities, and building connections through a National Science Foundation S-STEM program focused on ceramic and glass engineering.
Mariama Diallo, sophomore ceramic engineering major at Alfred University, stands by X-ray diffraction equipment in McMahon Engineering Building. She used the equipment, which measures the atomic and molecular structure of materials, as a participant in the National Science Foundation S-STEM program, hosted over the summer at Alfred University, Colorado School of Mines, and Missouri University of Science and Technology.
The program brings together students from Alfred University, Colorado School of Mines, and Missouri University of Science and Technology. During the summer, students spent time at each institution, working alongside faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers while learning about different research areas, facilities, and approaches.
Gabrielle Gaustad ’04, dean of Alfred University’s Inamori School of Engineering and principal investigator on the NSF S-STEM project, said the program was designed to expose students to the range of opportunities available in advanced ceramics and materials engineering.
“The goal was to expose students to the breadth of the field, from fundamental materials research to applications in areas such as semiconductors, energy, and aerospace and hypersonics,” Gaustad said.
At Alfred, students joined the university’s undergraduate summer research community and worked within the New York State College of Ceramics and Inamori School of Engineering. They participated in laboratory research and interacted with faculty members, graduate students, and other undergraduate researchers.
For Mariama Diallo, a sophomore ceramic engineering major from Brooklyn, NY, the opportunity to travel was one of the things that first attracted her to the program. She was interested in seeing other parts of the country and learning how different universities conduct research in ceramic engineering.
Sophomore ceramic engineering major Mariama Diallo outside McMahon Engineering Building on the Alfred University campus.
One of Mariama’s most memorable experiences came while working in laboratories in Colorado and Missouri. During one experiment, students were trying to sinter pellets in an optical furnace, but the pellets repeatedly fell inside and had to be retrieved with help from a graduate student.
“In the moment, I found it tedious, but when I looked back at it, it was pretty funny,” she said.
The experience also changed the way she viewed ceramic engineering. Before the program, Mariama expected the field to focus mainly on chemistry and combining different materials.
Instead, she discovered how strongly ceramic engineering also relies on physics, mathematics, and technical skills. “It definitely made me realize how much we use of what material science engineers make in our daily lives and how applicable it is to almost everything you do,” she said.
Gaustad said experiences like these help students develop skills that are difficult to gain in a traditional classroom. “In research, the answer is often unknown,” she said. “Students have to figure out what questions to ask, troubleshoot when things don't work, interpret unexpected results, and decide what to do next.”
The program also helps students begin building professional relationships in a relatively small field. Gaustad said those connections can later lead to internships, graduate school opportunities, and careers.
Applications for the program’s second cohort are expected to open at the beginning of the spring semester as Alfred continues expanding opportunities for students to participate in research, industry experiences, internships, and professional development.
Story by Andrii Maltsev ’27
