We are pleased to welcome Samantha Meaney from the University of Pittsburgh, USA, to our chair as part of the DAAD RISE Germany program. Ms. Meaney is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Materials Science and Engineering.

During her stay, Ms. Meaney contributes to research on low-transformation-temperature (LTT) Fe-Cr-B tool steels processed by powder bed fusion with laser beam (PBF-LB/M). Her project focuses on the relationship between rapid solidification, microsegregation, phase formation, and geometrical stability in additively manufactured tool steels.

As part of the project, she has independently carried out metallographic sample preparation as well as investigations using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM In addition, she participated in PBF-LB/M experiments and synchrotron measurements at DELTA in Dortmund and gained insight into various experimental methods, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), nanoindentation, dilatometry, and Vickers hardness testing. Furthermore, she was introduced to computational materials science methods, including CALPHAD and phase-field simulations.

We are delighted to have Samantha in our team and wish her a successful and rewarding continuation of her internship in Wuppertal and Solingen.

“I am Ashton Bush, a Mechanical Engineering Honors student at Purdue University with research interests in additive manufacturing, alloy design, and advanced materials characterization. From June 1, 2026, through July 31, 2026, I am participating in a DAAD RISE Germany research internship at Bergische Universität Wuppertal under the supervision of Mr. Mahmoud Hussein. My research focuses on the design and characterization of stainless steel alloys produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), investigating how varying powder compositions influence the resulting chemical composition, microstructure, and phase balance through chromium and nickel equivalent calculations, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and compositional analysis. As part of the project, I also visited the DELTA particle accelerator at the Technical University of Dortmund, where I performed high-resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements to characterize the crystalline phases and validate the microstructural evolution of the LPBF-processed alloys. This internship has provided hands-on experience with advanced additive manufacturing research, state-of-the-art materials characterization techniques, and collaborative research in an international laboratory environment.”