Marlena Alexander, a junior in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, recently won the Functional Materials Division Undergraduate Student Poster Contest at the 2025 TMS Conference in Las Vegas.  

Over 4,000 minerals, metals, and materials scientists and engineers from around the world gathered for the annual Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society Meeting and Exhibition. The student poster contest was sponsored by the five technical divisions of TMS. 

Alexander’s poster, titled “Investigation of Sintering Conditions for Optimization of High Entropy Garnet Ceramics” focused on the optimization of uniaxial hot-pressing temperatures for synthesis of high entropy garnet ceramics to be used for X-ray radiography applications. Her research found that samples pressed at 1400°C showed optimal transparency while maintaining high density and favorable scintillation properties. 

This wasn’t Alexander’s first time participating in the contest, as she also placed first in 2023.  

“I am so proud to have represented the Tickle College of Engineering and the University of Tennessee,” Alexander said. “We won two of the divisions in the undergraduate poster contest.” 

Alexander credited TCE faculty and administrators for assisting in her success. 

“I am also so grateful to my mentors, Kaden Anderson, Dr. Mariya Zhuravleva, Dr. Chuck Melcher, and Dr. Luis Stand for their help throughout my research project,” she said. “I am also thankful for the support we received from Dr. Philip Rack and the Center for Materials Processing to give us the opportunity to travel to the TMS competition. It makes me happy to positively represent the Volunteer community on an international stage.” 

Contact

Rhiannon Potkey (865-974-0683, [email protected])