From uncertain to passionate, Erik Demeyere Found His Path In Materials Engineering

Erik DeMeyere knew he wanted to be an engineer; he was a problem solver and knew that was his path. Yet when it was time to choose an engineering program to attend, DeMeyere was stuck in neutral.

“I was really struggling with what path I wanted to take,” DeMeyere said. “And then I saw materials engineering listed, which, at the time, I didn’t even know existed. After doing some research, I realized I had been interested in materials science all along.”

Now, DeMeyere is a junior majoring in materials engineering, specializing in metals while working with Iver Anderson, adjunct professor of materials science and engineering and a senior metallurgist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory.

In the lab, DeMeyere works on projects that advance powder metallurgy, which is creating and investigating applications of fine metal powders. “When I imagined becoming an engineer, I pictured materials engineering: Solving problems and pushing boundaries of materials through the principles of physics and chemistry. I was unaware that it was its own field, but I am grateful I discovered it!”