Matson named committee chair

Douglas Matson, associate professor of mechanical engineering, has been named chair of the International Space Station National Laboratory (ISS-NL) User Advisory Committee, which provides user input about the management of ISS National Laboratory resources. Managed by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space under cooperative agreement with NASA, the ISS National Lab is the microgravity laboratory onboard the International Space Station, designated by Congress as a U.S National Laboratory.

Matson's research interests include materials process control, space processing of materials, and solidification modeling. Over the years, he has worked with the ISS National Lab and with NASA to study questions like identifying how melt convection influences microstructural evolution, with tests conducted aboard the International Space Station. He seeks to provide the optimal material for specific engineering needs while bearing in mind the environmental and economic costs and the ability to manifacture a product sustainably.

ISS-NL User Advisory Committee membership is comprised of the individual chairs of five subcommittees: Science, Commercial Service Provider, Applied R&D, Educational Outreach, and Technology Development. The chairs share feedback from each committee and make recommendations to CASIS on how the ISS National Lab can best be utilized as a research, education, and technology resource. In addition to his appointment as chair of the User Advisory Committee, Matson is also chair of the Science Subcommittee.