Congratulations to Melissa Sweat, a recent ALERT graduate student who completed her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Purdue University last fall, and is now working as a Visiting Scientist with the Transportation Security Laboratory in New Jersey! Before graduating, Melissa worked with ALERT Thrust Leader, Prof. Stephen Beaudoin, at Purdue University. Her thesis, titled, "Compressive Behavior of Simulated Explosive-Filled Composites," has two major emphases: evaluating the compressive behavior (or "squishiness") of C-4, and creating a benign equivalent to C-4 - the end goals of which are to better remove explosive residues from surfaces. Because C-4 (a highly explosive compound) is difficult to obtain and dangerous to work with, Melissa created an inactive equivalent to C-4 that could be studied in the lab; she has recently submitted her work for publication to scientific journals such as Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics and Power Technology.

Held on February 9, 2016, the ALERT Career Panel Webinar successfully brought students together with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), industry, and national labs to discuss the career paths that have led them to their prominent positions today. The Career Panel is the first in a new series of Skill-Builder Webinars aimed at enhancing the professional development and connection of our students across campuses. In addition to dialogue surrounding the specific careers of each speaker, topics ranging from mentorship, networking, and interpersonal communication skills were addressed as a means of extending advice to students who are preparing to graduate or enter into internship experiences.