Materials science and engineering student Caroline Kromalic receives Best Poster award at the MDS-Rely Spring Meeting

Caroline Kromalic, a graduate student in materials science and engineering at Case Western Reserve University, recently received the Best Poster award at the Materials Data Science (MDS)-Rely Spring Meeting in Pittsburgh. 

In her project, Kromalic studied the reliability of aerosol jet printed flexible electronics with an emphasis on the consistency of printed products and their mechanical lifetime as part of the MDS-Rely’s “Project 06: Effects of Aerosol Jet Printing on the Lifetime Performance of Additively-Manufactured Flexible Circuits.” 

Kromalic’s poster, titled “Evaluating the Reliability of Aerosol Jet Printed Circuits," featured work from her thesis, which highlighted the need for real-time monitoring in aerosol jet printing and damage mechanisms of circuits subjected to bending fatigue. 

“I am very grateful for the support and funding provided by the MDS-Rely center, which made this work possible,” she said. “MDS-Rely has provided me many opportunities for professional development including frequent presentations, collaboration with industry partners and the leadership of a team of undergraduate students.” 

Kromalic credits Janet L. Gbur, a research assistant in materials science and engineering at the Case School of Engineering, for the mentorship and trust she received during this project. She also expressed gratitude to Laura Bruckman, the Climo Associate Professor at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, for her insight as a member of Kromalic’s thesis committee and Jeffrey Pigott, PhD, executive director of the Swagelok Center for Surface Analysis of Materials, for providing her with advanced microscopy techniques. She also recognized Sai Avuthu of Eaton Corporation for his expertise regarding flexible electronics.