38: The Materials That Create Comfort and Safety in Our Cars (ft. Elizabeth Sturges)

<p>When test driving a car, much of the feel and comfort comes from the choice of materials and their implementation into the car’s design. From the soft foam on the seats to the hard impact resistant foam in the ceiling, these materials are thoroughly tested and proved to withstand the most extreme of weathers and the most improbable use cases like the moisturizer you use.</p> <p>Before we introduce our guest, check out our <a href='https://www.subscribepage.com/mseprofessionaldevelopmentguide'>free professional development guide</a> for materials scientists and engineers!</p> <p>Today’s guest is Elizabeth Sturges, a Safety Performance Engineer and former Materials Test Engineer at General Motors. In this episode she dives into the roles of materials testing in a car’s design process.</p> <p>In this conversation, we discuss the following topics:</p> <ul><li style="font-weight:400;">The timeline of electric vehicles rollout</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">What a materials engineer does at GM</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">The specifics uses of plastics and textiles in cars</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Designing a car for Alaska and Arizona</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">The role of materials in safety</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Modeling vs physical testing</li> </ul> <p>Learn more about our MSE Career Development <a href='https://www.mseacademy.com/courses/students-tier-2'>Online Course</a>, which includes more industry-specific information and advice. </p> <p>Also, check out our <a href='https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop'>MSE-themed merchandise</a> if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!</p> <p>Thank you Joao Morgado for editing this episode!</p> <p>Join our <a href='https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN'>Discord community</a>! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field.</p> <