Young Professionals Network (YPN)

Expand your circle through ACerS Young Professionals Network (YPN)

The American Ceramic Society’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) aims to provide support, community, and leadership opportunities to members as they transition from students to successful professionals that are active members of the broader ceramic society.

Join the Growing YPN Community

You may join this growing community by logging in to your ACerS Personal Snapshot and marking "Young Professionals Network (YPN)" under the Interest Groups and Communities tab.

By joining today, you will receive YPN communications that will highlight opportunities for networking, volunteering, professional development, and more.

Call for nominations YPN Co-Chair, 2026-2028

The YPN Steering Committee is calling for nominations for the 2026-2028 YPN co-chair position. If you are an ACerS member who is looking to start or continue your involvement within the Society and have clear ideas about how to further the YPN's goals, please consider submitting a nomination form by Friday, July 31, 2026.

The current members of the YPN Steering Committee and their initiatives are listed at the bottom of this page.

YPN co-chair term and time commitments

The two YPN co-chairs serve as the primary points of contact for inquiries, provide overall coordination of activities in close contact with ACerS staff, and are responsible for reporting on YPN activities to the Board on at least an annual basis.

One co-chair will be appointed to a two-year term each year by the YPN steering committee. The term begins at the ACerS Annual Meeting each year.

The time commitment is 5-10 hours per month, with monthly meetings of the YPN throughout the year. Additional work may be required depending on activities/goals of the YPN that are specific to the co-chairs.

Additional YPN co-chair commitments

One YPN co-chair sits on the Education and Professional Development Council (EPDC). Meeting frequency: Once a quarter
One YPN co-chair sits on the Strategic Planning and Emerging Opportunities (SPEO) standing committee. Meeting frequency: Total of three (3) times per year (once at the ACerS Annual Meeting)
The outgoing YPN co-chair acts as the chair of the Du-Co Ceramics Young Professional Award Committee. Meeting frequency: As often as is required to make an awardee selection

YPN co-chair nominees and form

Nominee(s) must be a current ACerS member. Ideally nominee(s) will be a member of the YPN who have completed their university/student career and are 40 years of age or under.

To apply, submit a completed YPN co-chair nomination form by Friday, July 31, 2026.

YPN Co-Chair Nomination Form

YPN Steering Committee and its subcommittees

ACerS Young Professionals Network (YPN) is guided by the YPN Steering Committee and its subcommittees. See below to find out more about these subcommittees.

YPN+1 Subcommittee

Oversee the newly created YPN+1 Program.

YPN Webinars Subcommittee

Organize and moderate ACerS webinars on professional and personal development topics.

YPN Programming Subcommittee

Create and maintain YPN events (such as the Lunch with a Professional program) offered at ACerS conferences.

YPN Communications Subcommittee

Communicate current opportunities, events, and provide updates regarding the YPN's community.

YPN+1 Program - Division Liaisons

The YPN+1 Program offers the YPN Division Liaison program so that YPN members may seek to become involved in leadership roles within their Division.

Join the YPN+1 Program

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Stay Connected

ACerS Member Community

Join us in the Young Professionals Network group within the ACerS Member Community.

Join us in the ACerS Young Professionals Network (YPN) group.

Young Professional Awards

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Advance your Career

Post your resume and search the Ceramic Career and Glass Center
Increase your knowledge with Ceramic Materials Course offerings
Participate in free webinars without ever having to leave the office or lab.
Write for ACerS journals such as JACerS, ACT, IJAGS, IJCES, or ACerS’ Bulletin
Present a paper or poster at ACerS meetings

Volunteer with the YPN

Sign up for one or more of the ACerS Mentor Programs
Apply to be a part of the NEW YPN+1 Program
Be a Super Member or Moderator within the new ACerS Member Community
Join the YPN as a Steering Committee member
Serve as a Student Contest Judge

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Invaluable Connections

“The connections that I’ve made through The American Ceramic Society have been invaluable. I highly encourage anyone to get involved with the Society.”

Geoff Brennecka, Colorado School of Mines

2025-2026 Young Professionals Network (YPN) Steering Committee

Committee List

2024-2026 YPN Co-Chair

Xuan Song, University of Iowa

2025-2027 YPN Co-Chair

Zhezhen Fu, Penn State Harrisburg

YPN Steering Committee Members

Christopher Kassner, Air Force Research Laboratory
Mark Losego, Georgia Tech
David Poerschke, University of Minnesota
Shiv Prakash Singh, International Advanced Research Center for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI)
Briana Tom, Harper International
Kelsey Cannon, LM Space
Dillip Panda, Clemson University
Lavina Backman, Naval Research Laboratory
Caio Barco Bragatto, Alfred University
Emmanuel Rowe, Middle Tennessee State University
Ângelo Cristante, Vesuvius
Pandiyarajan Thangaraj, Indian Institute of Information Technology
Chuancheng Duan, Kansas State University
Katie Detwiler, Air Force Research Laboratory
Damandeep Kaur, Institute of Applied Physics (IFAC-CNR)
Luis Ruiz Pestana, Miami University

YPN's Aim

The American Ceramic Society’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) Steering Committee aims to:

Attract and retain young professionals as members of The American Ceramic Society
Connect young professionals with opportunities to actively contribute and take on leadership roles in the Society
Create a technical and social network amongst young professionals within the Society
Provide opportunities for professional development training of relevance to young professionals
Facilitate networking between YPN members and senior leaders in the ceramics and glass communities

YPN Initiatives

The YPN Steering Committee is composed of members who are actively engaged in identifying and executing specific activities and tasks to further the goals of the YPN within any given year, as determined by the YPN co-chairs.

The YPN’s initiatives for 2022 include:

YPN + 1 Initiative – launched as of January 2022!
YPN Connect (informal networking virtual events) – created to connect YPN members across the globe for networking opportunities outside of conference events.
YPN is actively helping to define and support the roll out of ACerS Strategic Initiatives.
Reorganization of YPN Steering Committee in order to focus on the following topics: YPN Connect, YPN+1, YPN Communications, YPN Programming, YPN Webinars

Ongoing YPN initiatives include:

Lunch/Network with a Professional – offered in conjunction with a variety of ACerS conferences throughout the year.
Webinars – offered under the ACerS Professional Skills and Personal Development Webinar Series, the YPN organizes several webinar offerings throughout the year.
Collaboration - The YPN Steering Committee strives to work with groups such as the PCSA, to co-organize programs and events, as well as to more clearly define a path from student to young professional.
Du-Co Ceramics Young Professional Award

Become an Individual or Associate Member

If you are a recent graduate, ACerS can help you succeed by offering you a FREE Associate Membership.

By becoming an ACerS Individual or Associate Member, you’ll have access to valuable resources that will benefit you now and throughout your career.

Become a Member

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