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SRNL Researcher James Marra, Ph.D. Honored by Materials Scientists and Engineers

Submitted by: Angeline French on Aug 02, 2010 at 7:44 pm Tagged with: materials science & engineering Source: Savannah River National Laboratory

James Marra, Ph.D., an advisory engineer in the Materials Science and Technology Directorate at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), was elected by ASM International as a 2010 Fellow of the Society.

Dr. Marra will be honored at the Convocation of Fellows to be held during the ASM Awards Dinner during the MS&T 2010 Conference, the annual international meeting sponsored by ASM and three other technical societies, which will be held this October in Houston, Texas.

ASM International, a technical professional society of materials scientists and engineers, established the award in 1969 to honor members for their distinguished contributions to the materials science and engineering field. As a Fellow, Dr. Marra will serve as an advisor to the Society and, when solicited, offer guidance to the Board of Trustees.

According to his award citation, Dr. Marra was elected “for outstanding achievements in developing waste forms and related processes to immobilize nuclear waste for permanent disposal and for significant contributions in the study of materials degradation in radioactive environments.”

Dr. Marra, a recognized international expert on development and performance of glass wasteforms, has been granted five patents on his work with glass composition development, specifically in the development of glasses with improved melting properties.

"Being recognized by my peers and elevated to Fellow of ASM International is quite an honor. Involvement in a technical society is important not only for information dissemination, but also for professional networking,” Dr. Marra said. “ASM, in particular, has provided me with opportunities in both areas and has given me the rewarding chance to participate in educational outreach for my field.”

Dr. Marra is noted as a mentor for interns, co-op students, and young professionals, including leading a group of young professionals at SRNL in pursuing research opportunities in the advanced ceramics area. He is active in educating elementary, middle, and high school students in science, especially the materials field; he was a co-organizer of the first materials science exhibit at the local Science Education Enrichment Day (SEED) at the University of South Carolina – Aiken, and continues to work with the annual event which attracts hundreds of students each year to learn about science and engineering.

He is a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society and serves on the American Ceramic Society Board of Directors. Also, he chairs the International Commission on Glass Technical Committee on Nuclear and Hazardous Waste Vitrification.

SRNL is DOE’s applied research and development national laboratory located at the Savannah River Site. SRNL puts science to work to support DOE and the nation in the areas of environmental management, national and homeland security, and energy security. The management and operating contractor for SRS and SRNL is Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC.

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