Devin Justice, HPMI researcher and junior in mechanical engineering, was awarded 5^th place in the Old Guard Oral Presentation competition at the Student Professional Development Conference (SPDC) hosted by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) at Georgia Tech.

Devin’s presentation on “Unusual Strain Hardening in Carbon Nanotube Networks: Mechanisms and Experimental Results” was one of the top finishers among the approximately 30 participants from the 20 universities at the conference.

The Old Guard competition emphasizes the ability to deliver clear, concise and effective oral presentations, particularly pertaining to some sphere in which an engineer is involved.

Each student presentation lasts fifteen minutes and is followed by a five minute Question and Answer period. The subject matter of each presentation must address a technical, economic or environmental aspect of engineering or other basic engineering theme, provided it pertains to some sphere in which an engineer is or should be involved. A major portion of a contestant's total score is based on the judges' evaluation of his/her relative capability to communicate orally, including evidence of a talent to respond effectively in the Q&A period.