Local high school students participate in UA’s Corrosion Research Academy

The first students to participate in the Corrosion Research Academy at The University of Akron presented their research findings this week during a poster session. 

Eight local high school students worked with faculty and graduate student mentors from the College of Engineering during the University's summer session. Projects ranged from studying the effects of bacteria on polymeric protective coatings to the corrosion resistance of lubricated materials.

“Mentoring the next generation of researchers is so important in the academic institution,” said Sue Louscher, executive director of the National Center for Education and Research on Corrosion and Materials Performance.

Louscher encouraged the students to consider the “boundless opportunities” that studying corrosion engineering could provide, including careers in research, or as a field engineer or even as an entrepreneur.

The Corrosion Research Academy is funded by the National Center for Education and Research on Corrosion and Materials Performance and gives high school students who are considering a career in engineering the opportunity to experience hands-on research by working on cutting-edge research projects with University of Akron College of Engineering professors. 

Students in the program were Christina Aronhalt, Harrison Backus, Jordan Euell, Quinton Gilbert, Todd Rexroad, and Matthew Wilson from Firestone High School; Andrew Quinn from Hoover High school; and James Vinson from Akron Early College. College of Engineering faculty researchers included Dr. Homero Castaneda-Lopez, Dr. Gary Doll, Dr. Tirumalai Srivatsan, Dr. Bi-min Newby and Dr. Jie Zheng.