Charles V. White, P.E., is a professor emeritus of manufacturing engineering at Kettering University and visiting professor at Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft (University of Technology and Economics) in the School of Engineering and Applied Science in Germany. White earned his B.S. from the University of Illinois, Urbana, his M.S. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1967, and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1982, all in metallurgical engineering. His current principle research interests are in metal casting, process development, and failure analysis. He was a member of the former TMS Educational and Professional Affairs Committee, chair of the Professional Registration Committee from 1996 to 1998, and a visitor for metallurgical programs for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) from 1992 to 2009. In addition to organizing and teaching at the TMS PE Licensing Review Course, White has taught a variety of short courses for engineers and non-engineers. White also holds his PE license in Ohio and Michigan.

Erik Mueller, P.E.,  is a Materials Research Engineer at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, DC. He has performed over 100 failure investigations of aircraft, rail, pipeline, and marine transportation accidents. Last year, Erik won the John K. Lauber Award for his work on the Centreville pipeline accident, and the Silver Medal award from ASM International for mid-career achievement. He is a licensed professional engineer in Florida, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Mueller graduated from the University of Florida in 2007, while serving as the official mascot (Albert the Alligator). Erik has served on the Board of Directors for the Failure Analysis Society, volunteers with the Handbook and Women in Materials Committees for ASM, while also volunteering for the Government and Public Affairs committee and teaching the PE test prep course for TMS.

Steven R. Sopher, is currently the technical director at JSP (owned by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical), where he focuses on material development, processing, testing, and qualification. He has over 30 years of experience in the plastics field. He earned his B.S. in 1986 in mechanical engineering and his M.S. in 1989 in engineering management, both from Northeastern University. Sopher also studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1988 to1989. He is the author of more than 50 papers and 1 book on Polyolefin Foamed Plastics and holds three patents. Sopher is a licensed stationary engineer and an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE).

Eric Weishaupt, P.E.,  is a Senior Consultant and Manager of Michigan Operations for ESi, with over a decade of experience conducting complex failure investigations. He earned his B.S. in materials science in 2005 from Michigan State University and his M.S. and PH.D. in engineering mechanics from the University of Alabama in 2010 and 2012, respectively. He is also a registered professional engineer. Weishaupt specializes in the study of mechanical behavior of materials in relation to structure and properties. Prior to joining ESi, Eric worked as a metallurgist. Throughout his career, he has conducted failure analyses including the automotive, rail, plumbing, heavy trucking, industrial and consumer products, sports equipment, recreational products, and medical device industries. Weishaupt has worked with manufacturers directly in the areas of materials selection, corrosion performance, design, quality assurance, and mechanical testing of products.