Undergraduate Student Events

The TMS 2019 Annual Meeting & Exhibition presents students with invaluable opportunities to learn more about the minerals, metals, and materials professions; to network with professionals and peers; and to compete in contests that offer cash prizes and valuable recognition.

Don’t Forget Your Student ID!

Every student who registers for the TMS 2019 Annual Meeting & Exhibition at the student rate will be asked to show a valid student ID when they pick up their badges at the registration desk. This is the only way to make sure you receive the deeply discounted student attendee rate on the conference. So please—when you pack your bags for San Antonio, don’t forget to bring your student ID!

Serve as a Student Monitor

Looking to earn some spending money during TMS2019? Consider applying to be a student monitor, where you will assist session chairs with room lighting, notify staff of audio/visual equipment problems, and take attendance.

Please Note: TMS will not be assigning sessions in advance of the meeting for TMS2019. Instead, student monitors are asked to review the list of sessions provided so that they are prepared to make their selections onsite.

The deadline to submit applications in advance of the meeting has passed. However, you can still complete the application onsite to participate.

Instructions for Student Monitors
  • Step 1. Please review the student monitor responsibilities for TMS2019.
  • Step 2. Report to the Programming Support Desk located at Hall 4A Pre-Function in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center to complete the application form at 7:00 a.m. on the first day you are available to monitor sessions.
  • Step 3. Review the TMS2019 session sheets to be ready to select your session assignments onsite at TMS2019.

Student Activities at TMS2019

TMS2019 Materials Bowl

Date: Sunday, March 10, 2019
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Henry B. González Convention Center, Lila Cockrell Theatre

Even if you aren’t competing in the materials-themed quiz-show competition, you’re welcome to attend the elimination rounds or the final championship round. Play along to test your materials science and engineering knowledge or cheer on your favorite school.

Sponsored by

Student Networking Mixer

Date: Sunday, March 10, 2019
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Grand Hyatt San Antonio, Lonestar Ballroom BC

Take a break and have some fun at this informal social event. Students will have the opportunity to interact with each other and with professionals in a relaxed setting. Refreshments will be provided.

Student Poster Contest

Date: Monday, March 11, 2019
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 
Location: Henry B. González Convention Center, Hall 3

Stop by and browse the student poster displays at your leisure or attend the official judging session to ask questions of the participants. If you are participating in the student poster contest, you must be present at the judging session to answer questions about your work.

Student Career Forum

Date: Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Grand Hyatt San Antonio, Lonestar Ballroom B

"When should I start my job search?" "Should I continue to graduate school or begin my career?" "How important is networking to my career?" If you find yourself asking questions like these about your future, then you should attend the Student Career Forum. Organized by the TMS Young Professional Committee, this session will feature speakers from various stages of their careers and diverse materials science backgrounds to discuss how to navigate a successful career path in the fields of minerals, metals, and materials.

Speakers will include:

Veronica Livescu, Los Alamos National Laboratory
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Robert Maass, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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Tori Miller, North Carolina State University
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Raul Rebak, General Electric Global Research Center
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Douglas Stauffer, Bruker Nano, Inc
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Jonathan Zimmerman, Sandia National Laboratories
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Preparing a Winning Application Package Workshop

Date: Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Grand Hyatt San Antonio, Mission A
Instructors: Mohsen Asle Zaeem, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Colorado School of Mines; Additional instructors to be announced
Sponsored by: TMS Young Professionals Committee

In this workshop, instructors from a national laboratory, university, and industry will share their experiences in obtaining and/or recruiting entry-level positions (postdocs, tenure-track faculty positions, etc.) and help guide the young professional on their journey from recent graduate to career professional.

Topics will include:
  • How to find the position that fits your interests and expertise
  • The effect of networking and how to create your network
  • What needs to be included in your cover letter, research and teaching statements, and diversity statement for a faculty position
  • The key differences between academic, industry, and national lab application packages
  • Hands-on experience on modifying application packages

To make the most of your time in the hands-on session, the instructors recommend that you prepare a sample application package in advance and bring it with you to this session. Registration for this event is now closed. 

TMS Bladesmithing Competition: Awards Presentation

Date: Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Location: Henry B. González Convention Center, Lila Cockrell Theatre

Prizes will be announced for the 2019 TMS Bladesmithing Competition during this special awards ceremony. Participating bladesmithing teams and all TMS2019 attendees are invited to come and learn which entries will take home the top honors. All entries will be on display Monday through Wednesday in the TMS 2019 Exhibit Hall during exhibit hours.

Programming Developed by Students

Science Policy Within the Materials Research Community

Date: Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Henry B. González Convention Center, Room 008B

Five graduate students from the University of Michigan are organizing this special symposium, which seeks to inform students and professionals about the relationship between materials scientists and the science policy community. The symposium will provide real-world examples and first-hand experiences of program managers, administrators, academic researchers, industry professionals, and congressional consultants working in science policy, as these individuals all collaborate to develop guidelines for future research. Specifically, the symposium will focus on the interconnection between the scientific community and science policies, the common obstacles that should be addressed in order to move forward with future research, and how science policy decisions affect the various scientific and engineering communities.

Organizers for this symposium include University of Michigan students Kathleen Chou, Ashley M. Hilmas, Peter Meisenheimer, Max Powers, and Brian Tobelmann.