ACerS is pleased to announce José Marcial has been selected for Volunteer Spotlight, a program that recognizes a member who demonstrates outstanding service to The American Ceramic Society through volunteerism.
Marcial is a materials scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and embedded staff at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant on the Hanford site in southeastern Washington. He received both his B.S. and Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Washington State University. Before joining PNNL, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, conducting research with collaborators at the Institut de Physique du Globe in Paris.
Marcial actually began his work at PNNL as a high school intern in 2008 and continued conducting research there during his undergraduate studies. Now through his current joint appointment, Marcial focuses primarily on vitrification of Hanford nuclear waste. This work is at a historic stage, as the plant just started operations to transform radioactive and hazardous tank waste into glass at the end of 2025. During this time, Marcial also served as team lead for the Materials Testing and Development Team at PNNL.
Marcial is a first-generation migrant student and the first in his family to graduate from university. Outside of work, he performs community outreach through career fairs and classroom visits to promote science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education. He also mentors students, early-career staff, and research interns.
Marcial is the current chair of the Glass & Optical Materials Division and associate editor for the International Journal of Applied Glass Science. His first exposure to the Society was as an undergraduate presenter at the 2011 GOMD meeting in Savannah, Ga. Since then, he has served as a delegate for the President’s Council of Student Advisors and as a student delegate for the then Nuclear Energy & Technology Division (now part of the Energy Materials and Systems Division). While at Washington State University, he served as president of both the Materials Advantage Chapter and the Materials Research Society Chapter.
We extend our deep appreciation to Marcial for his service to our Society!
