Fall 2024 has been particularly eventful in terms of the number of ICMT graduate students completing their PhDs.

First up was Neda Norooziasl, advised by Prof. Marc Singer. Her dissertation research was on "Effect of Oil/Water Wetting on CO₂ Corrosion Behavior". Recognizing how flow regimes can influence surface wetting in oil/water systems, she investigated how representative surface active compounds could play governing roles in associated corrosion phenomena. Her research significantly enhanced our understanding of intermittent wetting effects on corrosion, offering invaluable insights for developing more effective mitigation strategies. Neda has joined BP as a Materials & Corrosion Engineer located in Houston, Texas; developing and implementing corrosion management strategies for upstream, downstream, and new energy facilities to ensure asset integrity and operational reliability.

Next was Kushal Singla. Building on our groundbreaking work on inhibition, his dissertation is on "Characterization of Corrosion Inhibitor Adsorption using Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation". Working in collaboration with Dr. Hubert Perrot of Sorbonne University in Paris and advised by Prof. Nesic, he applied quartz crystal microbalance methodologies to build on, and validate, foundational research employing atomic force microscopy to quantify molecular adsorption. His work serves as a link for integration of defined inhibitor adsorption phenomena into corrosion prediction models. Kushal is continuing as a post-doc within ICMT's CCT-JIP.

Finally, Sahithi Ayyagari defended on "Role of Organic Acids in the Initiation and Propagation of Localized Corrosion of Mild Steel in Aqueous CO₂ Environments"; also advised by Prof. Nesic. Resolving the roles of weak acids in aqueous corrosion environments is of key importance to the oil and gas industry given their ubiquitous nature, her focus being on their impact on forming/formed FeCO₃ layers relating to complexation effects. Sahithi has joined ChampionX as a Principal Chemist located in Sugar Land, Texas; focusing on electrochemical and corrosion performance testing to deliver tailored solutions that enhance asset reliability and ensure long-term corrosion protection.