Samantha Mendez, a materials science and engineering Ph.D. student at Ohio State University, received the 2022 Women of Color National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (GEM) Student Leadership Award. (Photo courtesy of CEMAS).

The Women of Color GEM Student Leadership Award recognizes a student with an accomplished academic record. Past winners have impacted other students and their future interests while contributing to society.

While undecided on whether to pursue industry or academia after her Ph.D., she plans to continue to use her education and experiences to encourage historically underrepresented students to further their education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

"My mother and grandmother showed me that hard work and resilience can take you where you want to go," she told Women of Color magazine. They abandoned their education to support their families and because of their sacrifice, I am now a Ph.D. student in STEM. As I endure hardships, I remember the women of color who made my journey possible. It is my life's goal to facilitate this path for others."

Mendez is a College of Engineering Discovery Scholar Fellow, a Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) member, the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and volunteers at a local food market.

She also participates in community outreach through the Graduate Wellness Committee in the Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis, SHPE, and SACNAS and encourages minority students to pursue STEM careers.

A native of El Paso, Texas, Mendez came to The Ohio State University to pursue a Ph.D. after studying mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. She received the GEM Fellowship for her first year at Ohio State and began attending the consortium's conferences and events.

Mendez's research focuses on nanomaterials for high-energy-density batteries. Initially, Mendez worked with Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Professor Vicky Doan-Nguyen, who introduced her to the capabilities available at the Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis (CEMAS). Using CEMAS' world-class instruments for imaging and analysis, Mendez employs x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods to further synthesize and test nanomaterial additives in batteries. Click here to read more.