What’s possible when research crosses borders

Meet six mechanical engineering students at different points in their academic journeys - from doctoral candidates to undergraduates - who this summer stepped into research laboratories halfway around the world, working alongside Japanese students and faculty at three leading universities.

For eight weeks, they tackled different questions - from sustainable composite materials and recycling to aerospace and advanced manufacturing - all connected to a larger challenge: how engineering can help create, use and ultimately recycle the materials that will shape the technologies of tomorrow.

The experience, made possible through a National Science Foundation International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) grant led by Mechanical Engineering Professor Dr. Kwek-Tze "KT" Tan, pushed each student beyond the familiar. Now back in Akron, they're carrying that work forward, preparing to share their research at IRES Poster Day on Oct. 30 before presenting at the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition in Vancouver, Canada, in November.

But the most compelling part of their journey isn't just what they researched. It's what happened to them along the way.

First steps, final stretch: University of Tokyo

At the University of Tokyo, UA alumnus Jason Mack and undergraduate Winsten Lomax arrived at very different points in their academic journeys.

Mack, preparing to graduate with his Ph.D., had spent five years conducting research in Tan's laboratory while earning his bachelor's degree from UA. Lomax was entering his junior year and just beginning to explore research as part of his engineering education.

Both joined the Yokozeki-Higuchi Laboratory, where they worked on different projects related to sustainable composite materials. Mack developed computational models to predict the long-term durability of composite hydrogen pressure vessels, while Lomax investigated whether additively manufactured, recycled carbon fiber thermoplastics could be useful for industrial applications.

Despite their different projects, both found themselves pushed outside their comfort zones.

For Mack, Japan was his first experience conducting research outside UA - and the farthest he had ever been from home.

"My time in Japan was one of the most transformative experiences of my academic career," said Mack, who is now in a postdoctoral fellowship at Purdue University. "Spending two months at the University of Tokyo showed me that I could adapt to a completely new environment, contribute to meaningful research and feel at home in a laboratory on the other side of the world."

His research required him to take on finite element modeling, one of his admittedly weaker skill sets. After repeated rounds of debugging and refining his model, he finally got his first simulation to run successfully.

"That reminded me that the greatest professional growth often comes from tackling challenges that push you beyond your existing strengths," he said.

For Lomax, the experience changed more than his research skills. It changed his plans for the future.

Before Japan, he expected to stay close to home after graduation and enter the workforce, likely near Columbus. Eight weeks later, he was thinking much bigger.

"Everything has gone a complete 180," Lomax said. "Now, I find myself wanting to work at a company that's on the West Coast or even overseas, as well as going to grad school."

Working alongside international researchers as an undergraduate student also taught Lomax that success isn't about knowing everything from the start.

"I've learned a lot about the research process, and I've gotten to see firsthand that you don't have to be the smartest person to succeed; you just have to be resilient," he said.

Discovering common ground: Nagoya University

At Nagoya University, Andrew Dusman and Shane Rodgers worked in the same laboratory, tackling different engineering questions while navigating research in a new country.

Dusman, a senior mechanical engineering student from Hartville, focused on sustainability in composite materials, developing a process for pneumatically splicing carbon fiber. Rodgers, a fourth-year engineering student from Malvern, Ohio, researched the optimization of Type IV pressure vessels manufactured using Fiber Patch Placement, with potential applications in hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles.

Their projects differed, but both gained a deeper understanding of what it means to conduct research beyond the familiar environment of their UA laboratories.

For Dusman, the experience helped answer a question he had been considering throughout his undergraduate career: what comes next?

Mid-way through the program, students prepared an extended abstract about their research for a conference application. And it was with this that Dusman realized how far he has come in his work with composite materials research.

"I was very impressed with myself for propelling the research along the way that I did to complete my abstract, and it gave me more confidence as a researcher and engineer alike," he said.

By the end of the eight weeks, that confidence had helped him make a decision about graduate school.

"I have been debating about going to graduate school for a while and after this experience I now know that is the path I want to pursue," he said.

Rodgers came away with a different lesson. As he developed new technical skills and collaborated with Japanese researchers, he discovered that even when language presented a barrier, engineering provided common ground.

"Math really does work as a universal language," he said. "Even when working with those who understand me very little and vice versa, we can express our ideas through math."

The experience also strengthened his communication and teamwork skills and reinforced how well his UA education had prepared him to contribute in a different research environment.

"I appreciate how similar the research process was in Japan," Rodgers said. "To me, it reaffirms that the general process I have been shown is correct. I am glad that my experiences at Akron prepared me to be capable of productive research on the other side of the world."

The lessons that stayed with them: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

For Nanami Whitman and Emily Berdis, the eight weeks in Japan offered lessons that extended well beyond their research at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.

Whitman, a second-year Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering from Freeport, Ohio, studied microcracking in carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics for liquid hydrogen storage tanks. Berdis, a fourth-year student from Madison, Ohio, researched static and fatigue loading in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer adhesive joints.

But for both students, the people around them ultimately became just as important as the work itself.

Whitman arrived focused primarily on research but found that the relationships she built with Japanese colleagues and others she met along the way became one of the most meaningful parts of the experience.

"Making friends and getting to know people mattered more than I expected going in," she said. "I came to Japan focused on the research, but looking back, the relationships I built with my lab mates ended up shaping the experience just as much as the work did.

Working alongside Japanese researchers also gave both students new perspectives on how they approach their work. Whitman was struck by how meticulously her colleagues documented their experiments and began adopting the practice herself, keeping detailed notes so she could better understand and troubleshoot her own work.

For Berdis, the lesson was about active listening and clear communication. She learned that she didn't always need to be the first person to speak or offer an answer. Hearing other perspectives first, she found, could lead to better ideas and solutions.

"Understanding different perspectives and listening in different ways to solve problems was helpful to not only my learning but also has taught me to be a better active listener and communicator," she said.

That lesson extended beyond the laboratory. Berdis was struck by how mindful people in Japan seemed of how their actions affected those around them. The experience encouraged her to listen more carefully, communicate more clearly and consider perspectives beyond her own.

For Whitman, one of her most memorable moments came while traveling in Kichijoji. Walking down a street, she reflected on everything she had experienced and felt grateful for the opportunity to conduct research in Japan.

"It hit me how grateful and fortunate I was to be doing research in a place like this," she said, "and I found myself thinking back on all the great things I'd gotten to experience during the trip."

Their eight weeks in Japan may be over, but the work - and the possibilities it opened - are just beginning. Back in Akron, the six students are preparing to share their research at IRES Poster Day before taking it to the international stage at ASME IMECE in November. And recruitment for the next IRES cohort is underway. To learn more about the program, or for students who wish to express interest in joining it, contact Dr. Kwek Tze "KT" Tan at [email protected].

Story by Alex Knisely
Media contact: [email protected]