Newswise — WARRENDALE, PA – [June 4, 2015] –The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) and the Materials Research Society (MRS) have selected Jeremy W. Ward, Wake Forest University, as the 2015-2016 TMS/MRS Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow. Ward will serve a one-year term working as a special legislative assistant on the staff of a member of Congress or congressional committee.
Ward will begin his fellowship in early September in Washington, D.C., starting with an intensive science policy orientation facilitated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) designed to introduce Executive Branch Fellows and Congressional Fellows from more than three dozen scientific societies to the fellowship program. Following orientation, the new Fellow will go through an interview and selection process with offices of senators, representatives, or committees on Capitol Hill. Offices will extend offers, and Ward will choose the office in which he will spend his fellowship year.
"Science, to me, is more than the culmination of facts and equations," said Ward. "It is the combination of those, with the ability to view a problem from a variety of perspectives and then use those perspectives to generate creative solutions. I am very excited to use my technical and interdisciplinary experience as the TMS/MRS Science and Engineering Congressional Fellow—to help build on the effectiveness of the legislative methods in addressing science and education problems and to improve upon my understanding of the policy-making process."
Edward D. Herderick, TMS Public & Governmental Affairs Director, said, "The Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow program is an important way TMS supports informed policy making at the federal level. Jeremy Ward was a great candidate throughout the interview process, and we are excited to have him as the Congressional Fellow this year. In addition to a strong academic background, his military service stood out, as did his passion for education policy and the unique perspectives he will add."
The purpose of the Congressional Fellowships program is to bring technical and scientific backgrounds and external perspectives to the decision-making process in Congress. Typically, Fellows conduct legislative or oversight work, assist in Congressional hearings and debates, prepare briefs and write speeches as a part of their daily responsibilities. By applying his scientific expertise in this policy environment, Ward will help to broaden awareness of the value of scientist- and engineer-government interaction.
Each year, following a formal application process, finalists are interviewed and a Fellow is selected by committees comprised of volunteer members from TMS and MRS. For more information on the selection process, download the Fellowship information flyer.
About the TMS/MRS Fellow: Jeremy Ward
Jeremy W. Ward received his BA degree in physics and mathematics in 2006 from Simpson College and went on to earn his PhD degree in physics in 2015 from Wake Forest University. His doctoral research interests included investigations on the self-patterning fabrication and electrical properties of solution-processed organic field-effect transistors within the Organic Electronics Research Group led by Professor Oana D. Jurchescu. Ward was a 2013 Wake Forest University Richter Scholar, serving as a visiting researcher at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB). He became a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow (NSF-GRFP) in 2012, and is currently serving in that position.
Ward draws from his passion of working with people, specifically those interested in learning and working together in creative and productive ways. He will provide a unique perspective to a Congressional office by drawing from his experiences in the United States military, as a youth soccer coach, as a PhD scholar within the materials science community, and through his strong ties to the secondary education community. While Ward’s future policy interests include STEM education, ranging from early childhood to post-secondary stages, he is looking forward to learning about the interdisciplinary nature of using federal policy to address the science and education-related problems of today.
About The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society
The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) is a member-driven international professional society dedicated to fostering the exchange of learning and ideas across the entire range of materials science and engineering, from minerals processing and primary metals production, to basic research and the advanced applications of materials. Included among its 12,000 professional and student members are metallurgical and materials engineers, scientists, researchers, educators, and administrators from more than 70 countries on six continents. For more information on TMS, visit www.tms.org.
About the Materials Research Society
MRS is an international organization of over 16,000 materials researchers from academia, industry and government, and a recognized leader in promoting the advancement of interdisciplinary materials research to improve the quality of life. MRS members are engaged and enthusiastic professionals hailing from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and engineering—the full spectrum of materials research. Headquartered in Warrendale, Pennsylvania (USA), MRS membership now spans over 80 countries, with more than 45 percent of members residing outside the United States. In addition to its communications and publications portfolio, MRS organizes high-quality scientific meetings, attracting over 13,000 attendees annually and facilitating interactions among a wide range of experts from the cutting edge of the global materials community. MRS is also a recognized leader in education outreach and advocacy for scientific research. More information about the Materials Research Society can be found on its website, www.mrs.org.
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