Welcome to MEE intern, Reid Schur.  Reid is a senior, majoring in Mechanical Engineering at Washington University in St Louis. After taking an Intro to Materials Science course, Reid came away with a new-found interest in the field of  of materials science, especially the use of materials science engineering methods in solving forensic problems. His next step was to find an internship that would complement  his MechE major and his strong interest in Materials Science. A bit of research and some timely networking led him to an interview with MEE’s Principal Engineer, Larry Hanke. Larry readily recognized an opportunity to provide a motivated student with a hands-on learning experience as well as a chance to promote the profession he has been happily practicing for 30+ years.

We are pleased to have found an intern who is genuinely interested in the work we do here and look forward to working with Reid this summer.

MEE Materials Engineer, Neal Hanke, recently spoke at the International Association of Arson Investigators Training Conference in Orlando Florida. Neal’s presentation on Materials Analysis in Fire Investigation was part of a 4 hour course on Arc Mapping: Continued Research and Updates. The conference is attended by fire investigators, scientists, engineers, insurance adjusters and attorneys from around the world.

Neal’s presentation was designed to provide a better understanding of what a materials science engineer can add to the investigation of a structural fire and some of the methods used in the laboratory. The materials science engineer’s contribution to a fire investigation typically has a quite narrow focus, but can provide enlightening information that can help in the investigation on the progression and possibly the cause of the fire.