Cole Franz (BS/MSE ’21, PhD/MSE ’25) has been selected as a winner of the 2026 Henry Granjon Award from the International Institute of Welding (IIW).
Sponsored by the IIW’s French delegation, the prize is an annual international competition among authors of papers devoted to research in welding technology. The aim of the competition is to stimulate young people’s interest in welding and allied processes. Franz received his award in Category A, which covers joining and fabrication technology.
Franz was selected for his thesis paper that addresses the challenge of determining residual stresses, which are invisible and unmeasurable stresses affecting the integrity of many real, manufactured components. In the paper, Franz proves that a combination of smaller-scale characterization and more sophisticated models are needed to understand and predict these stresses, particularly for metals welded in the solid-state.
“I was surprised when I read that I won this award,” said Franz, who is currently a post-doctoral research associate in Professor Philip Rack’s group focused on predictive modeling and advanced characterization of cold spray additive manufacturing. “I am happy to see that others find value in something I’ve dedicated my time and effort to.”
As a student at UT, Franz developed high-resolution synchrotron and full-tensor neutron diffraction methods to quantify fine-scale plastic strain accumulation and its role in residual stress development. He also developed an efficient model to predict part-scale thermal history in additive friction-stir deposition, and he improved uncertainty quantification in neutron diffraction residual strain calculations.
“We are incredibly proud of Cole for receiving the Henry Granjon Award. His work advances our understanding of how residual stresses develop in additive manufacturing, which is essential for producing reliable, high-performance components,” said Professor Katharine Page, Franz’s doctoral advisor who helped with his submission for the award. “This recognition highlights both his dedication and the broader impact of research in advanced characterization and materials manufacturing at UT.”
Franz will receive his award during the opening ceremony at the IIW Annual Assembly and International Conference on July 12th in Salzburg, Austria.
“I am excited to make the most of this special opportunity,” Franz said. “I want to acknowledge my mentors, and the University of Tennessee for continuing to support me and making sure that I can continue to do what I love.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey ([email protected])