"Diamond Ranking" for MSE Grad Student Research

Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) graduate student Amy Marquardt received the American Ceramic Society’s Diamond Ranking in its annual Graduate Excellence in Materials Science (GEMS) competition.

Marquardt, advised by Professor Ray Phaneuf (MSE), was one of nine finalists selected to give an oral presentation at the 2014 Materials Science & Technology Conference. The top three finalists received a Diamond Ranking, while the remaining finalists received the society’s Sapphire Ranking. The students were judged on the quality of their presentations, the quality of their research, and their academic and scientific accomplishments. ACerS presented the winners at its Honors and Awards Banquet.

The Diamond ranking is the most recent of many honors and awards Marquardt has received for her work using nanotechnology and atomic layer deposition to create long-lasting, removable, ultra-thin coatings designed to protect silver art and artifacts from tarnish and preserve bronze patinas.

Published October 24, 2014