Status: Doctoral student
Hometown: Wetumpka, AL
Department: Materials Science and Engineering
Aeriel Murphy, doctoral student in materials science and engineering, has been engaged in scientific research since high school, where she competed in science fair competitions across the United States. She had a unique opportunity to participate in year-long college level research projects at the University of Alabama and Alabama State University while still in high school, and has only deepened her involvement in research since.
Aeriel came to Michigan with a degree in metallurgical and materials engineering from the University of Alabama and a lasting passion for research. She explains her decision to pursue a PhD: “When I got to undergrad my love for research and creating new knowledge grew more and more each year and I decided that pursuing a PhD was the right choice for me.”
Her work at Michigan aims to understand the effects of grain size, texture, alloying and composition on the recrystallization and grain growth behavior of magnesium alloys. She explores how the variables affect initiation, fatigue life and crack growth during fatigue testing.
After graduation, she looks to work in industry as a research engineer and plans to teach engineering disciplines at the community college level. Outside of class, she likes to run, go to the movies, travel and volunteer in community service.
