Edwin Fuller Student Poster Award Competition
The American Ceramic Society is proud to announce the inaugural Edwin Fuller Student Poster Award Competition at the ACerS 2026 Spring Meeting. This competition celebrates outstanding student research in ceramic and glass science and engineering while honoring the remarkable career and contributions of Edwin H. Fuller, an ACerS Distinguished Life Member and respected industry leader.
Awards
Prizes will be awarded in both the Undergraduate and Graduate categories:
First Place: $500
Second Place: $300
Third Place: $200
Winners will be announced at the Pre-Banquet Award Celebration on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 (5:30 to 6:30 p.m.).
Eligibility
All students presenting posters at the ACerS 2026 Spring Meeting are eligible for the Edwin Fuller Student Poster Award, including students who have already submitted poster abstracts and students participating in other division poster competitions such as the GOMD or EDiv poster contests. Students who have already submitted their poster abstracts do not need to resubmit. Students who have not yet submitted a poster abstract should follow the submission instructions below.
Students must be enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate program at the time of abstract submission. Students must be the presenting authors of their posters, and each student may submit only one poster for consideration. Posters must focus on ceramic and/or glass materials science and engineering topics. Undergraduate posters may include work done at the student’s home institution or through summer internships, REU programs, or co-op experiences.
Poster Session
The poster session will take place on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Students competing in the Fuller Award must be present at their posters for the entire session and be prepared to discuss their work with judges at any point during the session. Students must be present during the poster session in order to be eligible for awards.
Judging
Each student poster will be reviewed by at least two post-graduate, non-student volunteer judges. Posters will be evaluated on a 50-point scale across four categories: Visual Appeal and Organization (10 points), Technical Content (15 points), Significance and Innovation (10 points), and Oral Presentation (15 points).
How to Submit Your Poster Abstract
Students who have already submitted a poster abstract for the Spring Meeting are automatically eligible and do not need to take any additional steps.
Students who have not yet submitted a poster abstract should follow these steps:
- Create an account at https://springmeeting2026.abstractcentral.com/
- Prepare your poster abstract and all required submission information.
- When you are ready to submit, contact Karen McCurdy at kmccurdy@ceramics.org to request access to the submission portal. Once access has been extended, you will have 72 hours to complete your submission.
Students must contact Karen no later than Monday, March 9, 2026, to request access. All submissions must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, 2026.
About Edwin R. Fuller, Jr.
Ed Fuller once said ACerS was a natural home full of supportive mentors who aided his growth as a young professional. He always tried to pay this mentoring support forward by encouraging and promoting the students who worked with him.
Ed earned his Ph.D. in solid state physics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and spent his career as a research physicist in the Ceramics Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He was widely recognized for his contributions to mesoscopic computer simulations of micromechanical behavior of heterogeneous, stochastic microstructures, and theoretical modeling of fracture behavior and toughening mechanisms in brittle and quasi-brittle materials. He and colleagues were awarded one of Industry Week’s Technology of the Year awards for developing the software program Object-Oriented Finite Elements (OOF).
Ed was an ACerS member for more than 45 years, an ACerS Fellow, Distinguished Life Member, and President (2009-2010). He received the ACerS Ross Coffin Purdy Award and the Basic Science Division Robert B. Sosman Award.
The Edwin Fuller Student Poster Award was established by his family to honor Ed’s memory by supporting and recognizing the research excellence of students pursuing careers in the ceramic and glass materials community.
Questions?
For questions about the Edwin Fuller Student Poster Award Competition, contact Marcus Fish at mfish@ceramics.org.
Sponsored By
