New MAE PhD Student Receives WVNano Award

Aaron Kessman will receive a $5000 award from WVNano.

Aaron Kessman, a new doctoral student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has received a $5,000 WVNano Graduate Bridge Award for the 2007-2008 school year.

WVNano Graduate Bridge Awards are designed to facilitate a smooth transition into graduate programs in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines, and may be renewed for a second year.

Students in the program attend the WVNano Seminar Series, participate in research, attend regularly scheduled advising/mentoring meetings with a WVNano or department advisor, complete surveys and provide annual updated demographic and educational data while enrolled in the Ph.D. program.

Kessman is a native of Boston, Mass., and received his B.S. in chemical engineering from Northeastern University in 2002. He was admitted directly into the mechanical engineering Ph.D. program. He will begin studying at WVU in July, after accumulating more than five years of applied research and development experience as an employee of 3M and Alkermes.

“My fiancée and I visited Morgantown last year and loved the mountains and streams in the area,” Kessman said. “It will be a welcome change from the bustle of the city that I've known all my life and a great place to start our family together.”

“I'm very excited to return to academic study with many valuable lessons learned in industry. I intend to expand on the industrial research I have done so far,” Kessman said.

Kessman’s research interests include design of structural-functional protective coatings by nano-scale tailoring and control of topography, chemistry and morphology of surface characteristics and design of self-assembled structures, and nano-composites with controlled topography, porosity, and other micro-structural characteristics of bulk materials.

“I am honored to receive the WVNano Bridge award,” Kessman said. “Receiving this award early in my academic career will enable me to devote more time to my research interests. I look forward to interacting with other students and faculty involved in the WVNano initiative.”

06/27/2007