The winners of the 2024 Outstanding Paper Award for Materials Evaluation are
Binghua Cao, PhD, Dalin Yang, and Mengbao Fan, PhD, for the paper titled “A
Terahertz Fast Imaging Method for Debonding Defects of Thermal Barrier Coatings
Based on Dual-Channel Convolutional Neural Network,” published in Materials
Evaluation, Vol. 81, No. 5, May 2023, pp. 42–51.
BINGHUA CAO
Binghua Cao received a BS in measure-
ment and control technology and
instrumentation from the University of
Electronic Science and Technology of
China, Chengdu, in 2004, and a PhD in
control science and engineering from
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, in 2009.
She is currently an associate professor
in the School of Information and Control
Engineering at China University of Mining
and Technology, Xuzhou.
Cao has published over 70 journal
and conference papers and holds more
than 20 pending Chinese patents. She
has chaired many projects as an inde-
pendent principal investigator, including
those funded by the Natural Science
Foundation of China. Additionally, she
has received multiple Best Conference
Paper awards.
Her current research interests include
terahertz sensing and imaging, electro-
magnetic nondestructive testing (NDT),
signal and imaging processing, deep
learning, and the development of novel
sensors and instrumentation.
MENGBAO FAN
Mengbao Fan received a BS in auto-
mation from the China University of
Petroleum, Qingdao, in 2004, and a PhD
in control science and engineering from
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, in 2009.
He is currently a professor in the School
of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
and the dean of the Robot Engineering
Department at China University of Mining
and Technology, Xuzhou.
Fan has published over 100 peer-
reviewed journal and conference papers
and holds more than 30 pending
Chinese patents. He has served as the
principal investigator for numerous
projects, including those funded by the
Natural Science Foundation of China, and
has developed strong partnerships with
industry.
Recently, he successfully developed
terahertz and eddy current techniques for
inspecting thermal barrier coatings—an
area that has posed significant challenges
for the NDT community. These innova-
tive techniques have garnered consider-
able attention worldwide. Fan’s current
research interests include terahertz and
electromagnetic NDT applications, smart
signal and imaging processing using
deep learning, and novel sensors and
instrumentation.
DALIN YANG
Dalin Yang received a BS from Xu Hai
College of China University of Mining
and Technology, Xuzhou, in 2020, and an
MS in electronic science and technology
from China University of Mining and
Technology in 2023. His research inter-
ests include terahertz imaging and deep
learning.
SCOPE
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AWARDS&HONORS
NOMINATIONS OPEN
ASNT is currently accepting nominations for
the following awards: Donald O. Thompson
Research Recognition for Innovation Award,
Robert E. Green Jr. Research Recognition
for Sustained Excellence Award, and Ward
Rummel Engineering Excellence Award.
Nominations must be received on or before
31 January 2026. Visit asnt.org/about/
honors-and-recognition for more information.
Questions? Send an email to awards@asnt.org.
ABOUT THE
OUTSTANDING PAPER
AWARD
The Outstanding Paper Award recognizes high
degrees of effort toward technical, educational,
or managerial achievement in NDT through
the publication in ASNT’s journals Materials
Evaluation and Research in Nondestructive
Evaluation.
READ THE PAPER
ONLINE
58
M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N • M AY 2 0 2 5

The winners of the 2024 Outstanding Paper Award for Research in Nondestructive
Evaluation are Dmitriy D. Bruder, Megan E. McGovern, PhD, Robin James, PhD,
Teresa J. Rinker, PhD, and Vineet Gattani for the paper titled “Assessment of Laser-
Generated Ultrasonic Total Focusing Method for Battery Cell Foil Weld Inspection,”
published in Research in Nondestructive Evaluation, Vol. 34, No. 2, March–April 2023,
pp. 83–100.
DMITRIY D. BRUDER
Dmitriy Bruder is a project engineer at
General Motors R&D. After several years
as an automotive technician, he joined
GM in 2010, working in the Powertrain
division, where he was responsible for
transmission and hybrid electric motor
testing, validation, and dynamometer
operation. Bruder transitioned to R&D
in 2015, taking on various roles ranging
from prototype design to vehicle build
planning and instrumentation. Most
recently, he has led research projects in
nondestructive testing for in-line quality
verification.
Bruder holds both a bachelor’s and
master’s degree in mechanical engi-
neering from Wayne State University. He
holds nine patents and has published
four papers. In 2023, he received the
Boss Kettering Award, GM’s highest
recognition for technical inventions and
innovations.
MEGAN E. MCGOVERN
Megan E. McGovern, PhD, PE, is a staff
researcher at General Motors R&D,
where she has led research projects since
2016 focused on developing manufac-
turing inspection systems, primarily for
quality verification in battery manufac-
turing. McGovern received her master’s
and doctorate degrees in systems engi-
neering from the University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign. She is an active
member of various professional societies
and is a licensed Professional Engineer
(PE).
In recognition of her contributions,
McGovern, an ASNT member, received
the ASNT Research Recognition
for Innovation in 2022 and the SME
Outstanding Young Manufacturing
Engineer Award the same year. In 2023,
she received the Boss Kettering Award,
GM’s highest recognition for technical
inventions and innovations. McGovern
also currently serves on the Board of
Trustees of the ASNT Foundation and
as a Contributing Editor for Materials
Evaluation.
ROBIN JAMES
Robin James is a distinguished
researcher at General Motors R&D in
the Materials &Manufacturing Systems
Research Lab, where he leads the
development of advanced nonde-
structive evaluation (NDE) systems for
battery manufacturing. He holds a PhD
in mechanical engineering from the
University of South Carolina, specializing
in structural health monitoring and NDE
of composite structures, and completed
his postdoctoral research at the
University of California, Irvine, on ultra-
structural biomimetic materials inspired
by nature.
At GM, James has pioneered inno-
vative in-line NDE systems that improve
battery cell quality assurance during
manufacturing. He has authored around
25 invention disclosures related to
electric vehicle battery manufacturing
systems and is an expert in various NDE
techniques, including ultrasonic testing,
X-ray computed tomography, and eddy
current testing.
James has also mentored numerous
students, many of whom have advanced
to prestigious roles in NASA, Boeing,
and the US Navy. An ASNT member,
he currently serves as chair of the
Detroit Section of ASNT and vice chair
of its Research Symposium Program
Committee. His work has significantly
advanced battery cell manufacturing and
NDE, earning widespread recognition
and publication.
M AY 2 0 2 5 • M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N 59