Cherry Hill native Kathryn Matlack, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, was awarded the $15,000 Scholar Award from the Philanthropic Educational Organization.
The organization’s scholar awards were established in 1991 to provide substantial merit-based awards for women of the United States and Canada who are pursuing a doctoral-level degree at an accredited college or university, according to a release.
PEO is a women’s organization and sponsors women nationally, according to Shirley Kane, member of PEO Chapter W.
“We’re trying to focus on making women aware of how we can help them go to college, or get their Ph.D.,” Kane said, noting that only those sponsored by a chapter are eligible to win the scholarship.
Matlack applied for sponsorship after her mother and Chapter W member, Carol Matlack, told her about the Ph.D. scholarship program.
After meeting the qualifications, she applied.
Matlack’s award was selected from students sponsored by various chapters nationally.
Nominees aren’t required to be members of PEO. However, they’re required to be sponsored, Kane said.
“It’s coordinated by the main office in Iowa, which makes the final determination. This year, there were 559 nominees,” Kane said.
“All the money collected is pooled [for the scholarship], and it’s a cooperative effort.”
Matlack is currently working in a field dominated by men, and felt empowered by the scholarship opportunity.
“I think by doing what I’m doing, I get to motivate the younger generation as well asmake an impact,” she said. “Do what you’re passionate about, do what you want to do, you make your own way, and don’t let people tell you otherwise.”
She is currently involved in women’s organizations at Georgia Tech with grad and undergrad students.
She also encourages women with a passion for engineering to pursue the field and the opportunity it provides.
According to a release, Matlack’s graduate research and findings formed the basis for a large research grant recently awarded to her lab from the Department of Energy. She has published two journal articles on this work, presenting them at multiple conferences.
For the past two summers, Matlack has traveled to Dresden, Germany, to collaborate with researchers at a government laboratory to run experiments for her research.
She was invited to be a participant and a presenter at a workshop at Oakridge National Lab, where researchers from across the country collaborated to formulate a research plan to address the growing concerns of the nuclear industry. Additionally, she was invited to give a research talk at the Rising Stars in Nuclear Science and Engineering Symposium, held at MIT in March.
Matlack received her bachelor’s degree from MIT before moving on to Georgia Tech.
She is currently researching acoustics and material ultrasound technology and applying it to structures, specifically nuclear reactor structures, she said.
“There’s currently no way to evaluate how much radiation damage is in the material of nuclear reactors. Through research with ultrasound we’re trying to determine the amount of damage caused by the radiation,” Matlack said.
Matlack is planning to become involved nationally in the future.
She expressed gratitude for the opportunity the local PEO chapter has provided her.
“Next time I go home, I’m hoping to meet with my mom’s PEO chapter,” Matlack said, noting she has video chatted following the award of the scholarship.
“I’m hoping to keep in touch with them. They’ve been amazing support for me and I’d love to meet with them one-on-one.”
There are 41 PEO chapters in the state including Chapter W, which has members in Cherry Hill and Haddonfield.
According to Kane, members pay dues but only a small amount of money.
Fundraising is the big portion of the chapter contribution, she said.
The chapter raises money to help fund the scholarship pool through used book sales, crafts and a costume and jewelry sale.
“We hold an auction each year and a bake it make it take it,” Kane said. “We raise several thousand dollars from it each year.”
To learn more about PEO visit, www.peointernational.org.
