SMD Young Leaders Professional Development

The Young Leaders Professional Development Award provides an opportunity for young, professional members of TMS to advance in the field of materials science through participation in Society activities. Through interaction with TMS division leaders, young individuals participate in the decision-making and long-range planning of the Society. The program’s purpose is two-fold:

1. To enhance the professional development of young, dynamic and committed members through leadership opportunities and networking.
2. To foster an appreciation and desire among young members to play an active role in TMS and advance to volunteer leadership positions in the Society in the future.

Recipients receive the following benefits to assist them in participating in Society and Division activities:

• TMS membership for the year of the award.
• Sponsorship to attend the TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition for the year of the award.
• Complimentary registration to the TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition.
• Hotel accommodations for up to five nights at a hotel within the TMS room block.
• $500 travel allowance toward airfare and round-trip transportation from airport to hotel. Award recipients must travel to and attend the conference in order to receive the travel funds associated with this award.
• Tickets to conference social functions.
• Admission to appropriate division luncheon and council meeting, and an invitation to attend the TMS Board of Directors meeting at the TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition.

In order to maximize the benefits of the award, the following are required evens and tasks associated with the award:

Each award recipient is expected to actively represent the division by serving as a judge for division-sponsored student events at the TMS Annual Meeting. This includes the Technical Division Student Poster Contest (held Monday late-afternoon). Recipients are expected to work with the division by attending their representing division's council meeting and division lunch. This will be accomplished through ongoing communications throughout the year and on-site at the meeting. Recipients become a member of the Emerging Professionals Committee which meets during the TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition. These events and responsibilities take precedence over other events and meetings while at the TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition.

This award is funded by/through the TMS Foundation.

Criteria

TMS strives to maintain a balance among applicants from industry, government, and academia. Applicants must be current TMS members in good standing. A candidate may not reach his/her 40th birthday by December 31 of the year in which the application is submitted. Previous Young Leaders Professional Development Award recipients and students are not eligible to apply. Criteria to be considered by the division’s selection committee are as follows:

1. Active participation in Young Leaders activities and membership on the TMS Emerging Professionals Committee.
2. Active participation and membership in a TMS division technical committee.
3. Willingness to lend support to current and future TMS activities.
4. Ability to be responsible and honor commitments.
5. Possession of leadership skills including organizing or co-organizing TMS symposia.
6. Availability to attend the TMS Annual Meeting for which the candidate is applying.

How to Apply

Please submit the following documents to complete the application process:

1. Completed application form. Click on the How to Apply tab and read the instructions. After registering and logging into the site, click on Dashboard. Under My Programs, select Young Leader. Depending on the young leader award you select, different instructions and uploads will be populated.
2. An essay which explains, in 25 words or less for each item, how the candidate will fulfill the six criteria for TMS Young Leaders.
3. Current copy of the applicant’s CV or resume to include TMS activities participated in while a member of the Society. The CV or resume should be no longer than 5 pages. 

Recipients will be announced by December.