Awards
American Ceramics Society (ACerS) Lewis C. Hoffmann Scholarship
Ryan Eaton, a fourth-year undergraduate majoring in materials science and engineering at Case Western Reserve University, has been named the recipient of the Lewis C. Hoffman Scholarship, presented by the Electronics Division of the American Ceramic Society (ACerS).
The award was presented on September 29, 2025, during the Materials Science and Technology (MS&T) 2025 technical meeting and exhibition in Columbus, Ohio—one of the largest international gatherings in the field of materials science.
The Lewis C. Hoffman Scholarship recognizes an outstanding junior or senior student who demonstrates excellence in academics, leadership, and research. Eaton was selected based on his strong academic performance, extensive extracurricular involvement, and a compelling essay on the role of polymer-derived ceramics in advancing additive manufacturing for electronics.
Swagelock Center for Surface Analysis and Microscopy (SCSAM) Undergraduate Fellowship
The SCSAM Undergraduate Fellowship offers support for undergraduate students in the form of engineer and tool time. I was awarded this fellowship to continue my work on 2D nanosheet exfoliation. Specifically, I was awarded time on SCSAM’s Rigaku Smartlab XRD to study the structural changes in Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) in response to protonation at various HCl molarities. This work is still currently being carried out.
CWRU Summer SOURCE Research Funding
Case Western’s Undergraduate Research Office hosts the SOURCE Summer Research program as a way to provide funding for undergraduate researchers to stay on campus in the summer. I was awarded with a stipend in order to carry out work on 2D nanosheet exfoliation in both NMC and LCO. This work involved the creation of UV-Vis Calibration curves, the creation of samples for Synchrotron Powder XRD at ESRF’s Beamline ID31, and more.
Case Alumni Association Junior Senior Scholarship
The Case Alumni Association’s Junior/Senior Scholarship is awarded to rising sophomores and juniors pursuing a BS in engineering, math, or the applied sciences based on merit, need and personal skills.