The President’s Council of Student Advisors

The ACerS President’s Council of Student Advisors (PCSA) is the student-led committee of ACerS responsible for representing student interests to ACerS and its subsidiary committees, divisions, sections, and classes. The PCSA is the primary face of ACerS to ceramics and materials science students. The role of the PCSA delegate is to represent their collegiate institution to PCSA, as well as representing the PCSA and ACerS to their academic department.

PCSA Mission

The mission of PCSA is to engage students as active and long-term leaders in the ceramics community and to increase participation in ACerS at the local, national, and international levels.

PCSA Goals

  • To coordinate student-focused ceramic programming at technical meetings.
  • To develop and implement ceramics-focused outreach activities.
  • To facilitate industry-student relations.
  • To promote ceramic science and engineering at the university and local levels.
  • To provide a way for students and young professionals to become and remain actively engaged as leaders in the ceramic materials community.

PCSA Programs

PCSA Committees

The PCSA also has five committees:

Conference Programming and Competitions
Organize official PCSA sponsored conference programs and competitions

Communications
Coordinate advertisement and social media managing for the PCSA

Recruitment and Retention
Inspire and assist young researchers to become part of the PCSA

Education
Facilitate STEM outreach for the next generation of materials scientists and engineers, with a focus on ceramics

Professional Development
Professional development and community engagement group within the PCSA

 

2023-24 PCSA Officers

PCSA Chair
Michael Thuis, Northwestern University

Conference Programming and Competitions Committee Chair
Kavan Joshi, Lehigh University

Communications Committee Chair
Brittney Hauke, Penn State University

Recruitment and Retention Committee Chair
Ruth Adam, University of Cologne

PCSA Vice Chair
John Bussey, Washington State University

Education Committee Chair
Hugh Smith, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Professional Development Committee Chair
Pattiya Pibulchinda, Northwestern University

PCSA Mentor-at-large
Victoria Blair, US Army Research Laboratory

Scott McCormack, University of California, Davis

 

Meet the 2023–2024 Class of PCSA Delegates

Left: The 2023-2024 class of delegates with past ACerS President Sanjay Mathur (center, left) and current ACerS President Raj Bordia (center, right) at the PCSA Annual Business Meeting.

2023-2024 PCSA delegates represent the following universities:

  • Clemson University
  • Colorado School of Mines
  • Indiana University
  • Instituto Tecnológico de Saltillo (Mexico)
  • Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia (Mexico)
  • Lehigh University
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Northwestern University
  • Oklahoma State University
  • Purdue University
  • Texas A&M University
  • The Ohio State University
  • The Pennsylvania State University
  • University of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
  • University of California, Davis
  • University of Cologne (Germany)
  • University of Rennes 1 (France)
  • University of Virginia
  • Washington State University

Connect with the PCSA