PAST 38 BY 38 RECIPIENTS
Valerie Wiesner
"My Purdue education has been the foundation for my career in aerospace materials. It has propelled me to where I am now contributing to the development of materials that withstand the extreme conditions of hypersonic flight and space exploration. In addition to academic and research preparation, the mentoring and support I received from my advisors, professors, staff, and fellow students were pivotal. As I advance in my profession, I know my Boilermaker roots will continue to anchor me and help me explore my passion for aerospace materials to help contribute to the next era of high-speed flight and space exploration."
Valerie Wiesner | Materials Engineering
Senior Research Materials Engineer, NASA Langley Research Center
In her role as a senior research materials engineer at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), Dr. Valerie Wiesner is
pushing the boundaries of materials science while contributing to the next era of high-speed flight and space
exploration. She is developing materials capable of withstanding the extreme environmental conditions of lunar and
planetary surface operations. She also is focused on materials for reusable high-speed vehicles, a crucial area for
advancing the field and ensuring the successful application of next-generation ceramic composites.
Prior to joining LaRC, Dr. Wiesner was a research materials engineer at NASA Glenn Research Center, where she studied
the effects of sand, volcanic ash, and other particulate debris on ceramic coatings and composites for high-efficiency
gas turbine engines. She led the first-ever experimental viscosity measurements of calcium-magnesium-aluminosilicate
(CMAS) glasses, including volcanic ash from the 2010 Icelandic Eyjafjallajökull eruption that halted European air
travel.
Dr. Wiesner was a founding member and lead of the International Forum for Aviation Research Early Career Network from
its inception in 2016-2020. In 2020, she chaired the 44th International Conference and Exposition on Advanced Ceramics
and Composites, and from 2020-2021, she served as the youngest chair of the American Ceramic Society's Engineering
Ceramics Division. A familiar face at Purdue, she has mentored in the Leading Women Toward Space Careers program and has
been an active speaker and partner in MSE events.