Class of 2024: Aliya Kaplan Named Outstanding Graduate in Materials Science and Engineering | Virginia tech news

Name: Aliya Kaplan

Secondary school: Technical University

Important: Materials Science and Engineering, minor in mathematics

Residence: Vienna, VA

Plans after graduation: Pursue a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University of MIT

Favorite Hokie memory: “I started here during COVID so it was hard to meet people, but my favorite experience is joining Galipatia’s living learning community. I met my boyfriend there and even though everything had shut down due to COVID, we had a lot exploring the campus. It was so quiet at that time and just nice to take in the beauty here.”

Which faculty says: “Aliya is the first-rate embodiment of a Hokie and she will be a brilliant representative of Virginia Tech wherever she goes on her professional journey. Beyond her accolades, I am most proud of her growth – not just as a student, but as a person who can overcome the most difficult challenges, who can rise from failure and who can remain positive in stressful environments, she has demonstrated a very modest humility and an openness that characterizes the community principles of our university,” said Christine Burgoyne. assistant professor in the practice of materials science and engineering.

Meet the self-proclaimed “last-minute” engineer

Aliya Kaplan grew up loving art, calculus and working with her hands, so how did she get introduced to polymers, ceramics and electron microscopy when she graduated from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 2024?

“The field of Materials Science and Engineering connects creativity, out-of-the-box thinking and a fundamental understanding of mathematics and science,” says Kaplan. “I also really like working with my hands; it is conscious. That’s what I appreciate about technology, and all the thought that goes into research: it’s that creative process that for me there is a connection.”

Kaplan started at Virginia Tech in 2020 and made a last-minute decision to study engineering alongside her favorite high school subjects: art and math. Although she did not immediately pursue art, she did not completely abandon it either.

“I study electron microscopy, which I consider to be the photography of science. I can image beautiful nanoscale photographs of microstructures and gain insight into how these microstructures are created by the processes used to make the materials. With other words: it connects my love of art and math,” said Kaplan.

Although engineering was a deviation from her expected path, she attributes her positive experience to joining a living learning community her freshman year. Being part of Galipatia gave her social exposure, but also gave her the necessary exposure to the different avenues available in technology.

“I made the right decision to join Galipatia LLC because the mentorship I received through the program helped me through my freshman year. My mentor had other students, so I was able to meet other people, which otherwise would have been difficult because of COVID,” she said. “Not only did I meet one of my best friends there, but it also brought me into contact with different facets of technology and all study options. I came to this major at the last minute, so the living learning community stimulated my fascination with engineering and is a big part of the reason I started studying Materials Science and Engineering.”

Finding the photography of science

Kaplan investigates how materials behave in extreme environments. Specifically, she is working on developing aligned porosity in ultra-high temperature ceramics for heat mitigation applications in hypersonic aircraft where temperatures exceed 3000°C. These materials are suitable for the insulation packages, combustion chamber and leading edges of hypersonic aircraft. She says that many areas of engineering are being held back by the necessary advances in materials, so there are many opportunities for her research.

“During my studies, I am interested in continuing to study materials on nanometer length scales using advanced microscopy techniques. By using computer techniques in combination with microscopy instruments, we can actually link the way materials grow to their properties. It is the basic science studies that can have the greatest scientific impact,” she said.

After graduation, Kaplan will pursue a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT or Northwestern University. This challenging next step in her education is one that her experience at Virginia Tech has prepared her for. She attributes her success to the hands-on, experiential learning opportunities she took advantage of during her four years. Some of her many achievements, honors and awards include:

• Presenting at the American Ceramic Society’s 2024 International Conference and Expo on Advanced Ceramics and Compositions, an honor typically reserved for a graduate student
• Winning the National Undergraduate Speaking Competition at the 2022 Materials Science and Technology Conference
• Received a 2022-2023 Virginia Space Grant Consortium Fellowship
• Participate in a 10-week independent research program in collaboration with the University of Notthinghm in 2021
• Received the John G. Dillard Travel Award and the Louis H. and Diane E. Sharpe Undergraduate Scholarship
• Serve as social media representative for the Society of Plastic Engineers
• Publication of an article in collaboration with the faculty in the journal Cellulose

Kaplan said, “I’ve done something every summer since I started at VT, mostly research related. After the first year, I did an international research program for students, which was one of my first research experiences. I also interned at a local company called NanoSonic, doing R&D work, which was really cool: interns were given our own project and they were so eager to go. And we did that,” said Kaplan.

She also emphasized the importance of mentorship, especially when it came to securing internships, fellowships and conference opportunities.

“It was important that I started working as early as I did with Dr. Michael Bortner’s group. He was a great mentor and a real support to me. I received a few grants through the Macromolecules Innovation Institute and a travel grant for my first conference where I gave my first oral presentation. It was terrifying and I don’t think I met another student while I was there, but everything I did in research and internships helped along the way to my PhD.”

When she’s not in the lab, Kaplan stays in touch with her art roots by knitting and participating in crochet club. She also just got a puppy, a new addition that has been taking up a lot of her time lately. As Aliya prepares to study Materials Science and Engineering, she thinks about what makes being a Hokie special.

“My favorite thing about VT is the mentorship. I had my very first faculty contact with Dr. David Gray, my freshman foundation professor, and the reason I ended up at MSE. I must thank my mentors Professor Christine Burgoine and my current advisor, Dr. Carolina Tallon, for their tremendous influence on my education and providing every possible opportunity for research and community involvement.”

She also had some advice for her freshman year itself:

“I was very nervous during my first year in engineering, so I told myself to make learning my focus and continue to take every opportunity that came my way. Trust that by focusing on learning, I will find people who will support my path and everything will happen. work,” said Kaplan.