ASTM International visits Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Hugh Casper, from ASTM International Committee E28 on Mechanical Testing, presented information on standards and involvement in the development process to approximately 20 undergraduate engineering students during their class in the Materials Research Center. Accompanying Casper on the trip were ASTM staff members Ileane Smith and Jim Olshefsky. The students were juniors and seniors enrolled in the Mechanical Properties of Materials Course taught by Dr. Linda Schadler, Professor of Materials Engineering at RPI.

Casper spent time explaining how he first became exposed to standards, why he became a member, and the importance of involvement in ASTM. Don VanSteele, Manager of Instructional Laboratories for the Materials Science and Engineering Department who hosted the event, reiterated the benefits in being involved in organizations like ASTM. Olshefsky and Smith were able to provide additional background on ASTM and its student offerings.

“We first became interested in visiting RPI because Dr. Schadler has made great use of ASTM’s Standards on Campus packages in her class,” Olshefsky said. “We were thrilled when she invited us into the classroom to talk with her students!” This particular group of students was the fourth to take advantage of ASTM’s package that allows students to download up to 10 standards for $10 at RPI. Students found that being able to download an electronic version of the standards being used in their laboratory assignments greatly facilitated their work.

For more information on ASTM’s Academic Outreach, including student membership and Standards on Campus, please contact Ileane Smith by email ismith@astm.org or phone 610/832-9552.