Material Advantage Student Group
MATERIAL ADVANTAGE (MA) Chapters give you a much-needed edge in the global job market and the knowledge, experience and networking you need to begin your career successfully. You’ll find Material Advantage Chapters at more than 75 top schools of materials science and engineering throughout the world. Through the Material Advantage Program, you can learn and sharpen the skills you need to become a successful engineering professional and a future leader of your society.” Material Advantage benefits include networking, financial support including access to scholarships, chapter travel grants for conferences, leadership development, ACerS-AIST-ASM-TMS updates, awards and recognition.
Professional Development: Research fairs, factory tours, NASA tours, and speaker series
Academics: Study groups, resources for classes and course material, scholarship opportunities and research support
Social: Semi-formal, Carter’s Mountain Sunset Series, game nights and lunches
UVA MSE also supports a student chapter of The Association for Materials Protection and Performance.
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Sunset concerts, pumpkin carving contests, our semi-formal - see what we're up to!
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Learn about Material Advantage
Our student UVA MA chapter is a part of the national Material Advantage group which offers students many professional opportunities, travel grants, awards and leadership development - learn more about national MA!
See what we are up to!
Meet the 2026 MA Executive Board:
Anisha Jarang - Chair, Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Materials Science & Engineering Major, Year: 3rd
Research Field: I work with Dr. David Green on gold nanoparticle synthesis and ligand monolayer characterization for applications of drug delivery.
Bryan Snead - Vice Chair, Hometown: Abingdon, VA
Materials Science & Engineering Major, Year: 2nd
Research Field: KEVION Ion Irradiation Facility- LASP group
Kaelyn Harmon - Secretary, Hometown: Cary, NC
Materials Science & Engineering Major, Year: 2nd
Research Field: Shaped metal nanoparticle synthesis, Personick group (Chemistry department)
Kyle Wilson - Treasurer, Hometown: Falls Church, VA
Materials Science & Engineering Major, Year: 3rd
Research Field: I am in the Ji Ma research group (additive manufacturing) and the Kory Burns research group (nanoparticles/electron microscopy).
Astrid Kaczmarzewski - Publicity Chair, Hometown: Strasburg, VA
Environmental Science Major, Year: 4th
Research Field: bird migration game design, environmental ethics, sustainable materials