Ashlie Martini facts for kids
Ashlie Martini is a scientist and professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California, Merced. She is a tribologist, which means she studies how surfaces interact when they rub against each other. This includes things like friction, wear, and lubrication.
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About Ashlie Martini
Her Journey in Science
Ashlie Martini started her science journey at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Science, in mechanical engineering in 1998. Mechanical engineering is about designing and building machines.
She continued her studies at the same university. In 2007, she received her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in mechanical engineering. A PhD is a very advanced degree.
After her studies, she became an assistant professor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Later, she became a full professor at the University of California, Merced.
What She Studies: Tribology!
Professor Martini leads a research group called the "Martini Research Group: Fundamental Tribology Lab." Their main focus is tribology. This science helps us understand how things move against each other. It looks at friction (what makes things slow down), wear (how things get damaged from rubbing), and lubrication (how to make things slide smoothly).
Her lab studies important topics like:
- Solid and liquid lubricants: These are materials like oils or special coatings that reduce friction. They help parts move easily without wearing out.
- Tribochemistry: This is about the chemical changes that happen when surfaces rub together.
- Nanoscale contact and sliding: They look at how tiny, tiny parts interact. "Nano" means extremely small.
One really cool part of her work is helping NASA. Her lab tests special dry lubricants for the Mars rover. These lubricants help the rover's parts move smoothly in the harsh environment of Mars. Duval Johnson from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said her group provides very important information for Mars missions.
Awards and Honors
Ashlie Martini has received several important awards for her work:
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers - ASME Burt L. Newkirk Award (2012)
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research - AFOSR Young Investigator Award
Distinctions
Professor Martini also helps share new scientific discoveries. She is an editor or a member of the editorial board for several important science journals. This means she helps decide which new research papers get published.
- Tribology Letters - Editor
- Tribology Transactions - Associate Editor
- Tribology International - Editorial Board Member
- Computational Materials Science - Editorial Board Member
- Lubricants - Editorial Board Member
She has also been a chair for major international conferences. This includes the Gordon Research Conference on Tribology and the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Tribology Frontiers Conference. Being a chair means she helps organize and lead these big science meetings.
See also
- Tribology
- Mechanical engineering
- ASME Burt L. Newkirk Award
- Stick-slip phenomenon
