An Insightful Interview With The 2023 Airey Award Recipient, Hani Henein

Discover the extraordinary journey of Hani Henein , Professor at the 加拿大阿尔伯塔大学 and the 2023 Airey Award Recipient, a prestigious honour within the MetSoc: Metallurgy and Materials Society of CIM community. From groundbreaking contributions to the forefront of materials science and engineering to his profound insights, delve into his remarkable story below.

Congratulations on being awarded the 2023 Airey Award! Can you share your initial thoughts and emotions upon receiving this prestigious recognition from MetSoc of CIM?

I was surprised and grateful for the recognition.? To be counted among the giants in our field in Canada, some of whom were my teachers and instructors, is very humbling.

Your contributions to materials science and engineering are extensive. What inspired you to focus on rapid solidification, additive manufacturing, and other research areas during your career at the University of Alberta?

In a word - Curiosity, was my first reaction to understanding microstructures and how they formed from their respective processes.? This was followed by working at quantifying the relationships between the formation of these microstructures and the processes that formed them.? I find this area of research very fascinating and highly rewarding when new understanding is achieved.

In your over 30 years at the University of Alberta, how have you seen the field of materials science evolve, and what do you believe are the most significant advancements or changes during this period?

I believe there are three major advancements and events. I think the field is becoming much more quantitative.? Our abilities to simulate processes and microstructure formation have increased dramatically.? We have the ability to view materials in their structures in 3D.? So many assumptions that were made previously looking at 2D images are no longer relevant.? Another major advancement is the environmental demands for a carbon-neutral economy and the need for self-sufficiency in critical minerals and materials.? This is leading to a major transformation in our industry having to face new challenges with new processes and new materials.? Finally, the third major significant advancement is additive manufacturing (AM).? Although this technology has been around for several years, it has started to gain lots of attention over the past decade. It offers some new challenges in creating new materials appropriate for these AM processes.

Your innovative teaching and mentoring approaches, such as the development of case studies and international work abroad programs, have left a lasting impact. How do you see these initiatives shaping the education and experiences of future materials scientists and engineers?

This is perhaps one of the most rewarding parts of my job. The use of case studies and a flipped classroom approach to teaching Materials Process Engineering Design has led to a major transformation in this course.? This has been achieved with my colleague Ms. Kim Meszaros and the partnership of Dr. Cosette Lemelin of the University Teaching and Learning Centre.? We see our Materials Engineering students in this class growing from being students to Engineers in training over the length of the semester.? It is very gratifying to see their professional development and growth over the Semester.??

The Work Abroad Internships is another major effort to provide students with an opportunity to see the world through a different lens.? This is both for their personal growth and their professional development.? We have had over 100 students going through this program with the assistance of our University of Alberta International Office and my International Partners at Mines Nancy, ENSIC at Université de Loraine, Hokkaido University and DLR.? This program has positively changed the lives of the students who have participated in it.? At the end of the day, is that what our jobs are about - to prepare our generations of youth not only to meet future technical challenges in the field but also to personally grow and become internationally aware?

As someone who has held leadership roles in professional organizations like MetSoc, TMS, and AIME, what do you believe are the key responsibilities and challenges of leading such organizations in the field of metallurgy and materials science?

It is important as a leader in professional societies that we ensure that their mission is continually kept in focus.? The varied members and their constituencies of the society must be well served, encouraged to be creative in seeking new opportunities to better serve the continued and changing needs of their constituencies, to grow the international stature of the society, to recognize and promote excellence in our profession and to encourage young members to become involved and grow into the leadership of the societies.

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations and goals for the future, both in terms of your research endeavours and the broader advancements you hope to see in the field of materials science and engineering?

I would like to see a new generation of professionals that will pursue excellence in their teaching, research and service for the benefit of the profession and Canada.??

We are very blessed in Canada with our research system of partnership with industry.? This provides us with a unique opportunity and environment for training our students.? I am thankful for these opportunities provided to me and that continues to be provided to me by my industry Partners and NSERC.? I hope that these programs continue and are strengthened.? This is a critical strategic advantage of our academic research system in Canada.

I also dream of when International Internships in engineering faculties in Canadian universities grow to enable half of our undergraduates to spend at least one of their Internships and/or semester of study abroad. As Canada has become an Associate Member of the European Union, particularly in the Horizon Europe Program, I hope we also become an Associate Member of the Erasmus+ Program.

Hani Henein's journey embodies excellence in materials science and engineering, culminating in the prestigious Airey Award. Dive deeper into his inspiring story and the significance of the Airey Award by connecting with Hani on LinkedIn. Hani Henein's LinkedIn

Stay tuned as the 2024 Airey Award recipient will be announced this summer! Join us in congratulating all award recipients at the COM 2024 Awards Banquet in Halifax: COM 2024 Event Site?