Hitachi Electron Microscopy Scholarship

April 11, 2022
Photo of Wilbur and Zhang
Congratulations to Zoë Wilbur and Yi Zhang, recipients of the Hitachi Electron Microscopy Scholarship for 2022/2023! Hitachi High Technologies established this award as part of their partnership with the University of Arizona in support of the Kuiper Materials Imaging and Characterization Facility. Hitachi recognizes the need for advanced electron microscopy in addressing fundamental questions across the physical sciences and engineering. This competitive award is provided based on demonstrated ability for original scholarship and communication of research to the scientific community.

Zoë Wilbur (below left) is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Planetary Sciences. Her research focuses on unraveling the mysteries of lunar volcanism through the chemical analysis of Apollo samples. Additionally, Zoë is interested in the formation and evolution of meteorites, and what they can tell us about volatile elements in our solar system. About the award, Zoë says, "The Hitachi Electron Microscopy Scholarship will give me the financial freedom to focus on advancing my research this upcoming year, with the goal of publishing a first-author paper about how understudied Apollo 17 samples erupted onto the lunar surface."

Yi Zhang (below right) is a fifth-year Materials Science and Engineering Ph.D. student researching additively manufactured nickel-based superalloys, used widely in aviation. The research includes characterizing the interactions of microstructures and defects in the alloys and studying how the interactions correlate with fatigue performance. "The Hitachi Electron Microscopy Scholarship is great encouragement for me and a great recognition of my work, especially as a woman in STEM whose goal is to be a researcher, a metallurgist and a materials engineer. This award made me more confident in my ability as well as in realizing my goal. The Hitachi Electron Microscopy Scholarship has helped buffer my living expenses especially during this pandemic period and has enabled me to spend more time on my research."