Dr. Laura Moyer ’99 ’02G ’05 PhD, manager of metallography, light optical microscopy, and X-ray diffraction at Lehigh University, has been elected as a Fellow of ASM International, the leading association of engineers and scientists in the field of materials science.
The honor recognizes Moyer’s “outstanding leadership and technical contributions to the education of personnel in both manufacturing and academia,” benefitting the field of materials science and engineering. The formal presentation of the ASM Fellow Award will take place during IMAT 2023, ASM's annual meeting, October 16-19, in Detroit.
The ASM Fellow honor was established in 1969 as one of the highest distinctions in materials science and engineering and recognizes technical and professional leaders who have made distinguished contributions in the field. As a Fellow, Moyer will serve as an adviser to the society’s board of trustees.
Moyer’s “interaction with students has been critical in their success, both in the classroom and in the workplace during internships, as well as after graduation,” says Wojciech Z. Misiolek, Loewy Professor of Materials Forming and Processing and former chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. “Her dedication to making a positive difference in the lives of a diverse group of students and others interested in the field of MSE is worthy of recognition.”
Moyer serves in a number of technical and teaching roles in Lehigh’s P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, which she joined in 2013, following eight years at Alcoa in various engineering and metallurgy roles.
As lab manager in the MSE department, she provides technical expertise in support of faculty-led research and industry collaborations. She also trains students of all levels in the use metallographic techniques, light optical microscopy, and X-ray diffraction.
As an adjunct professor, Moyer has taught over 200 undergraduate students in core courses, imparting foundational knowledge, communication skills, and wide-ranging guidance instrumental to their future success in the classroom and beyond.
Her students credit her with setting them up for successful careers in metallurgy and related fields through mentorship that is, in the words of one student, “incomparable, genuine, and honestly rare in this environment in academia.”
“She is an inspiration to Lehigh, women in engineering, and all materials scientists and engineers,” says another, “because she is dedicated, passionate, organized, and a trailblazer in the field.”
Moyer is also deeply committed to engineering outreach. She is the faculty advisor for Lehigh’s Student Materials Society (SMS) and the director of Lehigh’s Summer Engineering Institute (SEI), a residential program for exceptionally talented rising high-school seniors from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM fields. SEI provides opportunities for intensive, challenging classroom study and research to more than 100 students annually in a cooperative living and learning environment that encourages teamwork.
She also leads the MSE department’s ASM Materials Camp for high-schoolers, is an active member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and serves on the MSE department’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee.
Moyer earned her BS, MS, and PhD in materials science and engineering from Lehigh, with her dissertation focusing on “X-ray Microbeam Diffraction Study of Strain in Polycrystalline Aluminum and Copper Thin Films.”
She has been recognized with the Rossin College’s Experiential Learning Excellence Award and the MSE department’s Gilbert E. Doan Award in recognition of excellence in undergraduate mentoring.
Moyer serves on the Executive Board of the ASM International’s Lehigh Valley chapter and is vice president of the International Metallographic Society Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), the American Ceramic Society (ACerS), and the Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST).
