DEATHS
MISTRAS Group
Inc. announced
the passing
of Sotirios J.
Vahaviolos,
the compa-
ny’s Founder,
Chair Emeritus, and Board Director, on
6 February 2025.
A visionary leader and pioneer in the
field of nondestructive testing (NDT)
and acoustic emission (AE), Vahaviolos
founded MISTRAS (originally Physical
Acoustics Corp.) in 1978 and dedicated
over four decades to building it into a
global leader in testing, inspection, and
asset protection solutions. He served as
CEO through August 2017 and President
through May 2016.
Prior to founding MISTRAS, Vahaviolos
was a scientist and manager at AT&T
Bell Laboratories, where he honed his
expertise in electrical engineering and
advanced NDT technologies. He earned
a BS in electrical engineering (grad-
uating first in his class) from Fairleigh
Dickinson University, followed by an MS,
MPhil, and PhD in electrical engineering
from Columbia University School of
Engineering.
During his career, Vahaviolos was
honored as a Fellow of the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE), ASNT (class of 1989), and Acoustic
Emission Working Group (AEWG).
He also served as ASNT’s President
(1992–1993) and Chairman (1993–1994)
and was an honorary life board member
of the International Committee for
Nondestructive Testing. Additionally, he
was the recipient of ASNT’s Lester Honor
Lecture in 1998, Robert C. McMaster
Gold Medal in 2001, and AEWG’s Gold
Medal in 2005. He was also one of the six
founders of NDT Academia International
in 2008.
“His contributions in the field of NDT
are countless,” said fellow NDT luminary
Chuck Hellier. “He was a true pioneer in
the field of acoustic emission and related
technologies. I will always remember his
warm smile and firm handshake.”
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NEWCERTIFICATIONS
ACCP Level II CWI
Bo Cotton
Christopher Crawford
Stanislav Jovanovic
David Knight
Matthew Mackey
Marielys Marcano
Cory Mendenhall
Israel Mendoza
James Montgomery
Frederick Reck
Corey Townsend
ASNT 9712 Level II
Koki Akama
Diwakar Kumar
Peter Lanczak
Koudai Miura
Htet Naing Oo
Kouhei Suga
Dharmaraj Thanarasu
Kazuya Yamashita
ASNT 9712 Level III
Kei Hamada
Yukihisa Imagawa
Mikio Iwamoto
Daiki Kanai
Toshio Katsuki
Norikatsu Kawamura
Naoya Kudo
Kudo Kyoko
Daisuke Mori
Koji Murakami
Masahiro Oda
Masato Oka
Norikazu Ooka
Hiroaki Sato
Atsushi Shimmura
Makoto Suginaka
Hirofumi Tamura
Ikuo Torisu
Eiichiro Ugumori
Kazuya Yamashita
Masahiko Yanase
Shigetomo Yoshiba
ASNT NDT Level II
Mitchell Jarvis
ASNT NDT Level III
Muthuvel Adhinarayanan
Owen Alger
Michael Anderson
Authivel Arunachalamony Nadar
Ryan Ayres
Robert Boettcher
Cody Boriboun
Mikael Cunha
Guoqiang Dan
Aleksandra Domin
Andrew Grohne
Manikandan J
Kimberlee Joyner
Thomas Kelley
Kyle Ladwig
Gregory Clark Ledford
Erick Lomeli
Fengyu Lu
Zachariah Lute
Kevin Anthony McMillan
Indira Muthukannan
Daulton Newman
Chandra Sekhar Panda
Rohan Naginbhai Patel
Jordan Peter
Nguyen Huy Quy
Arun Radhakrishnan
Xavier Rocha
Dante Rodriguez
Palavalasa Sairam
Oscar Salinas
Fares Salloum
Shaquille Sanders
Durai Singavandaiyar Singaravel
Aaron Stevermer
Thirumal Veerappan Valavan
Gonzalo Villasmil
Alexander Zuran
IRRSP
Alonso Cardenas
Talyn Donk
Kyle Frye
Robert Fuentes
Cody Helm
Eduardo Huizar
Nicholas Mutchler
Cody Ogle
Robert Ohneck
Liam Rush
Mario Sitladeen
Dion Webb
Lancelot Winslow
ISQ – Oil &Gas
Max Acosta
Jose Albarran
Leonard Bacon
Nicholas Bernal
Jeffrey Boscutti
Angel Dominguez
Mark Dover
Benjamin Ellis
Reyes Espino
Kyle Frye
Jackson Gernand
Jesus Gonzalez
Brandon Heaton
Giovany Hernandez-Vidrio
Spencer Johnson
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M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N • M A R C H 2 0 2 5

THE ASNT FOUNDATION’S ROLE IN SUPPORTING
THE NDT RESEARCH COMMUNITY
BY HEATHER K. COWLES, CAE, CVA
Research is fundamental to the growth and future of the nondestructive testing
(NDT) industry. Research in NDT unlocks potential new applications of science and
technology that will shape future inspection methods and technology. The ASNT
Foundation aims to drive these innovations in NDT through its own comprehensive
research initiatives and the funding of fellowships and grants.
Dr. Megan McGovern is a Staff
Researcher at General Motors (GM)
Research and Development and serves
on the Board of Trustees of the ASNT
Foundation. Before serving in that role,
she has been part of research institutions
that received previous ASNT Fellowship
awards. We asked her to share her
perspective on the importance of NDT
research and the crucial role funding
plays in it. (The views shared in this article
are her own and not those of GM.)
“Funding is vital for advancing NDT
research, because it drives the develop-
ment of new technologies and method-
ologies while enhancing existing ones,”
said McGovern. “Investing in research
ensures that the field continues to evolve
and stays ahead of industry needs and
emerging challenges. At the end of the
day, it all is toward one goal: improving
safety for everyone.”
ASNT FOUNDATION
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The ASNT Foundation Fellowship
Program is dedicated to advancing
research and innovation in the field of
NDT. By supporting graduate students
and early-career professionals, we aim to
foster the next generation of NDT leaders
and researchers. Our fellowships provide
vital funding to explore groundbreaking
ideas, develop new technologies, and
contribute to the growth and excellence
of the NDT community.
“The benefits of NDT research span
across the entire field, because the
knowledge gained enables innovation
and development of reliable inspec-
tion technologies,” said McGovern.
“Technicians gain access to more
advanced tools, engineers benefit from
improved methodologies, and everyone
benefits from safer, more depend-
able products, transportation, and
infrastructure.”
So, how are the fellowships awarded?
Academic institutions with graduate
educational research programs are
eligible for the Fellowship Award. Up
to five recipients are selected annually.
Submissions are critically reviewed for
content and quality using the following
guidelines:
Ñ Novelty of the research
Ñ Value of the potential contribution
Ñ Soundness of the technical
approach
Ñ Scope of the proposed research
effort
Ñ Potential for successful completion
Ñ Adequacy of the proposal team
Ñ Adequacy of the facilities
The latest recipients of the ASNT
Foundation Fellowship will be
announced soon, so stay tuned to
learn more about the next research
projects we’re supporting. Winners will
receive US$20 000 in funding begin-
ning in July. The funds are directed to
the contracting office of the university
or college department of the recip-
ient for disbursal as described in the
proposal.
Recognition of selected awardees
is presented at the ASNT Annual
Conference. Fellowship student recip-
ients have the opportunity to submit
their research findings for presenta-
tion at an ASNT Research Symposium
following the completion of the
research, and a paper on the completed
research must be submitted to ASNT
no later than 24 months after the start
date indicated on the proposal. This
research is published and available for
ASNT members to read through our
monthly journal, Materials Evaluation,
or our research journal, Research in
Nondestructive Evaluation.
SCHOLARSHIPS
AND GRANTS
The ASNT Foundation Fellowship is not
the only way that the Foundation supports
NDT students and academics. Our schol-
arships and support programs aim to
provide financial assistance and resources
to aspiring NDT professionals, helping
them to achieve their academic and career
goals. Each scholarship is carefully consid-
ered and awarded by respected peers and
committees, symbolizing a commitment
to academic excellence, innovation, and
dedicated pursuit of knowledge. We also
offer various grant programs designed
to support educators and students by
providing the necessary resources to
advance education and research in NDT,
encouraging the development of inno-
vative curricula, and supporting student
participation in key industry events.
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M A R C H 2 0 2 5 • M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N 67