EMU Today

YPSILANTI – Brittany Venglarcik, a master’s graduate student of Polymers and Coatings Technology at Eastern Michigan University (EMU), has been selected as one of the top two graduate students to receive a FOCUS (Future of Coatings Under Study) Research Scholarship in the amount of $7,500 for the 2019-2020 school year.

The scholarship is awarded by the Detroit Society for Coatings Technology (DSCT), a regional professional society comprising of membership from leading automotive OEMS, coating materials and equipment suppliers, consultants, entrepreneurs and academics.

Established in 2018 by the DSCT, the FOCUS Student Research Scholarship program aims to encourage and support young university talent for innovative research in the area of automotive coatings. The program has attracted graduate students from universities across Michigan.

Vijay Mannari, EMU professor and research advisor, said this year’s competition was tough, with graduate students, including PhD candidates from the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Eastern Michigan University submitting innovative research proposals.

“We are very proud of Brittany for being selected for this coveted scholarship award,” said John Texter, EMU professor and graduate coordinator for the Polymers and Coatings Technology program. “In addition to being a senior graduate student in the Polymers and Coatings Technology program, something that takes a lot of hard work and time, she is also a full-time employee of Axalta Coating Systems in Mount Clemens.”

Mannari said, “This recognition is a testimony to our outstanding students and their talent and inventiveness. Brittany is a very motivated and passionate student, and this scholarship will help support her research efforts and unique graduate learning experience.” 

According to Mannari, Venglarcik’s research proposal stood out among many others due to its innovative approach in understanding and solving an important industry problem using advanced instrumentation techniques.

Her research, besides being supervised by Mannari, will also be mentored by her industry colleagues. It focuses on uncovering a mechanistic understanding of the migration of additives during the application and curing stages of automotive coating, and its implications on coating performance.

For more information on the Polymers & Coatings Technology program at EMU, please visit the program website.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves nearly 18,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Engineering and Technology; and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.