Boston University Materials Science & Engineering Graduate Students Association recognized with Chapters of Excellence Award
by Chloe Cramutola
In March of 2023, they rebuilt and reshaped a chapter from the ground up. A year later, they won the prestigious 2023-24 Material Advantage Chapters of Excellence award for their work, which also includes a $450 cash prize and a plaque.
This awarded chapter, the Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Students Association (MSE-GSA), is a graduate student group in the MSE Division at Boston University.
Students interested in materials are encouraged to join MSE-GSA, as it aims to give members access to valuable research and professional development opportunities within its academic community. It also bridges the gap between school and social life with fun events to meet other students.
“This [award] is a way for us to see all the things we were able to do [have merit], regardless of whether or not we would get recognition for it,” said GSA President Emily Ghosh, a third year Materials Science and Engineering PhD student. “All the work that we did is really good for us, and we’re really proud of it, but it’s nice to see that it’s recognized elsewhere as well.”
The Division is unique, offering only graduate programs of study in contrast to ENG departments, which offer undergraduate and graduate programs of study. The Division is proud to support the MSE GSA MA student chapter, which focuses on fostering a stronger sense of community for all BU students interested in materials –– not just students within MSE.
“As long as we emphasize it’s for all… students who are interested in materials [science], the big misconception that it’s only MSE students goes down,” said GSA Vice President Savannah Schisler, a third year Mechanical Engineering student.
Before Schisler and Ghosh came along, there was no cohesive MSE-GSA. The chapter used to be two separate chapters –– Materials Research Society (MRS) and Materials Advantage (MA) –– later combined under one association.
While MRS centers on research, MA is more industry focused, Ghosh said. During COVID-19, the chapter’s activity died down, and the students in charge of it either graduated or focused on other organizations.
“We wanted to put in the effort to find all the pieces that were there, [and] just not easily accessible to us, and put it all together again,” Ghosh said.
In its first full year as a Materials Advantage Chapter, MSE-GSA offered professional development events such as volunteer opportunities, resume workshops, career fairs and writing groups. The chapter also hosted networking events and social events, allowing students to relax and grab coffee or pizza before finals.
As president, Ghosh oversees direction of the association and major events, working closely with Schisler, who is primarily responsible for online communications and event coordination.
Together, they worked with Treasurer Chloe Kekedjian, Secretary Anubhav Wadehra, Student Advisor Dr. Jillian Rix Mulligan, Peer Mentorship Directors Jairaj Narendran and Matthew Geib, and their Faculty Advisor and Associate Division Head, Dr. Soumendra Basu.
Basu said the chapter became more involved in welcoming new students, setting up peer mentorship programs and helping students integrate into life at BU.
“Whatever help I can provide I will,” he said, “but the credit goes to the students.”
Each month MSE-GSA tries to provide at least one major event for students, allowing them to interact more with both the chapter and the MSE Division. In addition, BU is situated near conferences such as Electrochemical Society, Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, and MRS. The MRS Fall Meetings are held each year in Boston, so MSE-GSA encourages students to attend talks and take initiative in networking.
“It’s a culmination of a lot of hard work from a lot of different people, beyond [Ghosh and me],” said Schisler
The chapter has even sparked inspiration in Mechanical Engineering, which would also like to start its own association. Ghosh said seeing others assemble student associations for their own departments is really encouraging.
“Everybody’s in their own lane, and that’s great, but I think having a social balance is so important,” Schisler added. “I think every department should have a GSA because even if it’s just a pizza event, you get to see your friends and there’s free food.”
Ghosh, Schisler and others who have united to rebuild this chapter realize this award is only the beginning, and they strive to do more for all students interested in materials at BU.
“It’ll be great if they get newer people pursuing other degrees to come in, because that’s going to give very different voices to the group,” Basu said. “I think that’s one of the goals, to try to expand it beyond materials science, and I think they have done a really good job of making this known to students.”