Snyder Awards
Honoring Robert (Bob) L. Snyder (1941-2011)
An outstanding educator and researcher, Bob Snyder was Professor Emeritus of Ceramic Science at Alfred University, Chairman of Material Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University and co-chair of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech. He was chairman of both the ICDD and the Denver X-ray Conference, traveled extensively, and interacted with scientists from around the world. His research focused on the characterization of advanced materials by X-ray diffraction, especially advanced ceramics and nanomaterials. Bob presented over 1,000 talks, authored numerous publications and textbooks, and was known as an international ambassador of material science and characterization. He was known for his passion for science and life. Bob served as ICDD Chairman of the Board of Directors from 1996 to 2000.
ROBERT L. SNYDER STUDENT AWARD
In pursuing its dynamic commitment to the education of the scientific community, the International Centre for Diffraction Data is offering limited travel support to help students attend the 2025 Denver X-ray Conference.
Grants are awarded in the amount of $1,000 USD for recipients living within the USA and Canada, and $1,500 USD for those living outside of the USA and Canada. Winners’ registration fees to the conference will be waived. Students are required to participate in the technical program by submitting an abstract for oral or poster presentation. Winners must also be able to attend the Plenary session of the conference on Wednesday morning for the announcement of the award.
Ludo Frevel Scholarship
DXC Awards
Deadline: 3 June 2025
To apply for a student award, submit a:
- 2025 Snyder Student Application Form (coming soon)
- Copy of your abstract for oral or poster presentation at the conference
- A supporting letter from your research advisor
- A photo to be used during the conference
Please submit your application and files electronically by 3 June 2025 to dempsey@icdd.com.
RECIPIENTS
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to receive a 2024 grant:
-
Md (Ashik) Ashikuzzaman, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
– Comprehensive Analysis of Glauconite Sand: DCB Treatment Effects on Mineral Composition -
Lindsey Foote, Georgetown University, USA
– Solid State Desolvation of 5-Fluorocytosine Forms -
Beau Herrington, Keele University, United Kingdom
– To Fix or Not to Fix: Deciphering Tissue Chemistry Though Multi-Model Analysis
– Exploring Prostate Cancer Biomarkers: Insights from Tissue Microenvironments and X-ray Scattering Analysis -
Zhao Jiang, University of Leeds, United Kingdom
– Revealing Calcium Carbonate Transformation Under In Situ Heating Using 4D Sparse Ptychographic X-ray Nanotomography -
Patrick Kraus, Technical University of Vienna, Austria
– MAXI- macro XRF Scanning Device with mm Spot Size for A4 Area Scans -
Shae London, Georgetown University, USA
– Synthetic and Biogenic Ammonium Urates -
Vinicius Pires Rezende, University of São Paulo, Brazil
– Strategies For In Vivo Diagnosis of Fertilizer Absorption and Transport in Plants by X-ray Fluorescence -
Niklas Pyrlik, University of Hamburg, Germany
– Synchrotron-Based Multi-Modal Imaging Unveils Structure – Composition – Performance Correlations in CIGS Solar Cells -
Monika Rasic, Loyola University Chicago, USA
– Analysis of Heavy Metals in White Grape Vinegar -
Michael Arkadi Romanov, DePaul University, USA
– Collagen Degradation Investigation in Archaeological Second Metacarpal Bones Using Synchrotron Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering -
Hibiki Shirata, Meiji University, Japan
– Crystalline Phase Analysis of Cosmetic Foundation Using Powder X-ray Diffractometry -
Kimberly Poppy Sinclair, University of Washington, USA
– Studying Aqueous Alteration on Mars Through Quantitative XRF from the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry -
Alyssa Tovar, Loyola University Chicago, USA
– Biomonitoring of Chicago’s Pilsen and Little Village Industrial Corridors Using Daucus Carota -
Charles I. Ezekiel, The University of Iowa, USA
– Solid Decolorization: Dismantling of an Orange-Red Zwitterionic Cocrystal by Multicomponent Milling
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to receive a 2023 grant:
-
Dana Alramahi, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA
High Entropy Oxide Tungsten Bronzes as Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries -
Karen Castañeda Marin, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA
Synthesis and Characterization of MoP Nanoparticles Used As a Catalyst in CO2 Reduction Reaction -
Sven Hampel, Clausthal University of Technology, Germany
– Successful Picoliter Printing of 65 Elements for TXRF Analysis and Related Methods
– Investigation of the Genesis of Spinel Solid Solutions in Recycling Slags
– Determination of Diffusion Coefficients of Vanadium Inside Polymer Electrolyte Membranes -
Benjamin Hulbert, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA
– Specimen Displacement Correction for Powder X-ray Diffraction in Debye-Scherrer Geometry with a Flat Area Detector
– Crystal Structure Solution and Thermal Expansions of CaZr4(PO4 )6 and SrZr4(PO4 )6 -
Hao Lin, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA
Exploring the Structural Evolution in Li-Rich Layered Materials via Operando XRD -
Benard Lawer Patawah, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA
XAS Study Local Atomic Environment Mn-Edge in MnOxGO Nanocomposites as Air-Cathode for Metal-Air Battery Application -
Himihami Mudiyanselage Senevirathna, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA
In Situ EXAFS Study on Pd @ Ni(OH)2 during Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction Reaction -
Philipp Ziegler, TU Wien, Austria
Tackling Low Z Element Quantification with TXRF
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to receive a 2022 grant:
- Paola Cirelli, University of Brescia, Italy
X-ray Fluorescence under Grazing Incidence Analysis of Particulate Matter Filters: Understanding the Effect of Beam Footprint - Adam Corrao, Stony Brook University, USA
What Happens When Nanoparticles Are Not Spherical? - Sarah Gosling, Cranfield University, United Kingdom
Identifying Disease Biomarkers through X-ray Diffraction of Breast Calcifications - Gaurav Gupta, University of Delhi, India
Microstructural Analysis of ZnO Nanoparticles Using Rietveld Refinement of X-ray Diffraction Data - Sven Hampel, Clausthal University of Technology, Germany
Picoliter Derived Artificial Samples and Their Investigation with Gracing Incidence XRF; Gracing Incidence X-ray Diffraction Analysis of Picoliter Derived Specimen; Picoliter Derived Micro Deposits as Tool to Understand Thin Film Sample Preparation; 3D Printing of Metal Containing Polymer Layers as Reference Samples in Micro XRF Analysis - Otavio Jovino Marques, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA
Operando XAS Studies of High-Entropy Oxides in Li-ion Batteries; Operando PDF Studies of High-Entropy Oxides in Li-ion Batteries - Ana Cecilia Murrieta Muñoz, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico
Inversion Degree and Microstructure Evaluation of ZnFe2O4 Ferrispinel - Sahar Shadman, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA,
High-Entropy Oxide Bronzes as Tunable Li-ion and Na-ion Anode Materials - Chloe Skidmore, Pennsylvania State University, USA
High Temperature X-Ray Diffraction of Thermite Reactive Nanolaminates - Ning Su, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA
In Situ EXAFS Studies of Pd@Ni(OH)2 & C Catalyst for Ethanol Oxidation - Karel Trojan, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic
Microstructure Parameters, Residual Stresses, and Preferred Orientation of Laser Additive Manufactured H13 Tool Steel
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to receive a 2021 grant:
- Andrés Servando Aguirre Sánchez, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico,
Metal clusters and nanoparticles: Estimating error in size determination for particles below 4 nm - Adam Corrao, Stony Brook University, USA,
In Situ Synchrotron XRD Studies of Microstructure Evolution During the Salt-Mediated Coarsening of Nanoporous Metals - Hannah Cross, Keele University, United Kingdom,
Effects of Soft Tissue on the Crystallographic Changes to Bone Mineral upon Heating - Samantha Davies, Cranfield University, United Kingdom,
High Resolution Mapping of Osteoarthritic Bone - Benedikt Eger, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Germany,
Structural Investigation of Electrodeposited Layers - Gesa Goetzke, TU Berlin, Germany,
Evaluation of single photon events for X-ray fluorescence measurements with a convolutional neural network - Sarah Gosling, Cranfield University, United Kingdom,
X-ray analysis of breast calcifications in cancer precursors - Sven Hampel, Clausthal University of Technology, Germany,
Illustrating sensitivity gradients within the detector field of view in TXRF using picoliter droplet residues - Benjamin Hulbert, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA,
TiO2-HfO2-WO3 Phase Equilibria and Negative Thermal Expansion in HfW2O8 - Rahul Lalge, University of Minnesota, USA,
Crystallization in Amorphous Pharmaceuticals: Understanding the Role of Cooling Rate during Preparation from Melt - Marcelo Augusto Malagutti, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil,
Structural and Microstructural X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of the β-CoTe Nanophase Synthesized by Mechanochemistry: Anisotropic Size and Microstrain Modeling - Otavio Jovino Marques, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA,
Electrochemical Reaction Mechanism of High-Entropy Oxides in Li-Ion Batteries - Ana Cecilia Murrieta Muñoz, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico,
Cation Distribution in Magnetic Spinels based on XRD data and Analysis from the Bertaut’ Method - Steffen Staeck, TU Berlin, Germany,
Depth-resolved soft X-ray spectroscopy for nanoscaled structures with a CMOS detector
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to receive a 2020 grant:
- Hannah Cross, Keele University, United Kingdom,
Effects of multiple heating on the crystallographic changes to bone mineral - Navpreet Kaur, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, USA,
Potential for levothyroxine sodium pentahydrate to dehydrate in a drug product environment: implications on chemical stability; Role of lattice disorder in the water mediated dissociation of pharmaceutical cocrystal systems crystallographic changes to bone mineral - Florencia Emilse Lurgo, Ciudad Universitaria, Argentina,
Thermoelectric studies and magnetic behaviour of the new dichalcogenides Rh1-xPdxTe2, Ir1-xPdxTe2 and Rh1-xIrxTe2 with (0 ≤ x ≤ 1); Magnetic behavior and structural analysis of hexagonal Lu1-xBaxMn0.5Fe0.5O3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) perovskite; Neutron Powder Diffraction in mixed perovskites LuFe1-xCrxO3 with x = 0.25; 0.45; 0.55 and 0.75 to elucidate the magnetic structure and performed MonteCarlo simulations to reproduce the magnetic behavior - Christian Lutz, Clausthal University of Technology, Germany,
Laboratory-based XANES to study vanadium in vanadium redox flow batteries;Investigation on Vanadium Crossover in Nafion™ and Novel PVDF-Based Membranes for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries - Marcelo Augusto Malagutti, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil,
Challenges on the microstructural characterization of nanocrystalline alloys produced by Mechanochemistry - Ana Murrieta Muñoz, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico,
A comparative microstructural characterization for gold nanoparticles and thin-films using integral breadth methods - Tashiema Ulrich, Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA,
Crystal Structure of Uranium Monosilicide: A High Temperature Time-of-Flight Neutron Diffraction Study
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to receive a 2019 grant:
- Lizeth Pabón González, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia,
Synthesis and Characterization of a Nickel Complex of Enalaprilo and Solubility Study - Alexandria Hoeher, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA,
Introducing a New Method for In Situ X-ray Scattering to Quantify Structural and Chemical Controls on Amorphous Calcium Phosphate - Thasneema Kettindakayil, Calicut University, India,
Genetic Algorithm For Crystal Structure Prediction - Benjamin Levy-Wendt, Standford University, USA,
X-ray Characterization of Copper Integration into Cu2xHg2-xGeTe4 for Thermoelectric Applications - Joanna Maj, Marquette University, USA,
Spherical Optics by Dislocation of Crystal Structure - Lauren O’Neil, University of Washington, USA,
Practical Guidelines for Distinguishing Minerals with X-ray Scattering - Katherin Vanessa Serrano Castaño, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia,
Structure and Hirshfeld Surface Analysis of a New Structure of Oxymetazoline Chloride - Logan White, University of Tennessee Knoxville,
Structure and Hirshfeld Surface Analysis of a New Structure of Oxymetazoline Chloride - Tashiema Wilson, University of South Carolina,
Crystal Structure Characterization of Uranium-Silicides Accident Tolerant Fuel by High Temperature Neutron Diffraction
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to receive a 2018 grant:
- Kweku Konadu Amponsah-Efah, University of Minnesota, USA,
In Situ Monitoring Of the Crystallization of Amorphous Solid Dispersions in Aqueous Solution, Using Synchrotron Radiation - Adriana Perez Casanova, Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, México,
A Straightforward Program Written in Octave and Julia for X-ray Diffraction Line Profile Analysis: A Study in Gold Thin Films - Rishvi Jayathilake, University of Maryland, USA,
Oxygen Storage Properties and Structural Evolution of AFe2O4 (A= Lu, Y, Yb, In) Under Chemical Looping Conditions - Navpreet Kaur, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA,
The Role of Lattice Disorder in Water Mediated Dissociation of Cocrystals - Bárbara Araceli Ramírez Almaguer, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México,
BM: A Python Code for Modelling Physically Based Background for XRD - Jayesh Sonje, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, USA,
Effect of Process Variables on Physical State of Mannitol in Tert-Butyl Alcohol – Water Systems - KA Thasneema, Calicut University, India,
Implementation of Genetic Algorithms for Crystal Structure Prediction - Shivcharan Verma, Panjab University, India,
Variation in the Precipitation of Metal Ions in Standard Water with Different Analytical Conditions
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to receive a 2017 grant:
- Janeth Sarmiento Arellano, Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla,
Phase Transformation and Enhancement of Structural Properties on CdSe Films with Annealing in Air Atmosphere. - Gangadhar Das, Homi Bhabha National Institute,
Depth Resolved Chemical Speciation of a Superlattice. - Brianna Ganly, University of New South Wales,
Particle Size Effects in X-ray Fluorescence Analysis of Iron and Copper Minerals. - Jessica Hamilton, Monash University,
Mg-carbonate Cements Trap Potentially Toxic Trace Metals and CO2 at Woodsreef Mine, New South Wales. - Howie Joress, Cornell University,
A Polycapillary Based Method of Monochromatic Time-Resolved X-ray Reflectivity. - Gabriella Mankovskii, Ryerson University,
Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence Based Method Development for Quantification of Gold Nanoparticles in Breast Cancer Cells. - Lauren O’Neil, University of Washington,
Extracting Further Information from an X-ray Fluorescence Spectrum through Modeling of X-ray Scattering. - Josef Prost, Vienna University of Technology,
Trace Element Analysis of Airborne Particulate Matter with TXRF and SR-TXRF-XANES. - Shigehiro Takajo, Los Alamos National Laboratory,
Spatially Resolved Texture and Microstructure Evolution of Gas Gun Deformed SUS304 Steel using Neutron Diffraction. - Connor Turvey, Monash University,
two presentations: Hydrotalcites as a Carbon Sink in Serpentinites and First Impressions Count: Applications of Field Portable X-ray Diffraction to Environmental Monitoring of Mine Sites. - Cassidy VanderSchee, McGill University,
Detection of Localized Tungsten Deposition and Speciation in Bone using μXRF and μXANES.
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to receive a 2016 grant:
- Valentina Aguilar, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico, Mexico City,
Mexico ADIS: A New X-Ray Diffraction & X-Ray Fluorescence System for In Situ Material Characterization for Cultural Heritage - Quan Kuang, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Structural Design and Characterization of Vanadium-Based Phosphates as Cathode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries - Yifeng Ling, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
Microstructural Characterization of Fly Ash-based Geopolymer - Lara Maldanis, University of São Paulo, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
Micro-XRF Spectroscopy in Fossil Samples Providing Information about Preservation, Paleoecology and Evolution of Specimens - Scott McCormack, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
In Situ Crystallographic Thermal Expansion Measurements of Compounds in the HfO2-Ta2O5-TiO2 Ternary System Using CTEAS - Adelita Mendoza, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Zinc Dynamics Regulate Germline Development in Caenorhabditis Elegans - Sixberth Mlowe, University of Zululand, Kwadlangezwa, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa
High Temperature Phase Transformation of Iron Sulfide - Jing Zhang, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
2 Crystal Structures and Properties of New Compounds in Mgo-In2O3-P2O5 Ternary Systems - He Zhang, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, USA
XAFS Observation of Nucleation Mechanism in Deposition of WS2
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to receive a 2015 grant:
- Pere Barriobero Vila, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
Role of Element Partitioning on the α – ß Phase Transformation Kinetics of a bi-modal Ti-6Al-6V-2Sn Alloy During Continuous Heating - Tsuyoshi Matsuno, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
Improvement of Spatial Resolution of Confocal Micro-XRF Images Using Principal Component Analysis and TXRF of Metal Particles in used Machine Oils and Feasibility Research for Application of Principal Component Analysis - Brian May, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
X-ray Nanodiffraction Study of the Delithiation Mechanism of LiFePO4 Single Particles - Sean Mills, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
In-Situ Annealing of Uranium-10 Weight Percent Molybdenum Foils - Yuki Takimoto, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
WD-XRF Imaging with Polycapillary Optics Under Glancing Incidence Geometry - Vanessa Isabel Tardillo Suárez, Brazilian Synchrotron Light Lab & Universidade Federal De Vicosa, São Paulo, Brazil
Modeling Depth Resolved XRF Data to Study Semiconductor-Oxide Thin Films Doped with Transition Metals Ions
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to receive a 2014 grant:
- Florian Bachmann, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg, SA, DE, Germany
Automated Generation of E_Cient Scanning Schemes for XRD Pole Figure Measurements with Area Detectors High Resolution Texture Measurements with X-ray Area Detectors and ODF Estimation - Joe Boesso, DePaul University, Glen Ellyn, IL, USA
The Atomic Structure of Partially Amorphous Indium Oxide Semiconductors - Yujia Ding, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA
XAFS of Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics BZT-BCT - Sofia Marah Frias, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Application of X-ray Diffraction to Hydrothermal Alteration Mineral Characterization Using Laboratory-based XRD and Portable XRD/XRF - Samuel Liu, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Chemical Doping in Sillen-Aurivillius Phases: Perovskites in Low Dimensional Multi-layer Structure Types - Nathan Nagle, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Tracing Legacy Sediment and Contaminants from Historical Gold Mining using XRF, XRD and pOSL - Kenta Ohtaki, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
XRD analysis of Doped Monoclinic LaPO4 (Monazite) - William Paxton, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, NJ, USA
In-situ Synchrotron Energy-Dispersive X-ray Diffraction as a Powerful Tool for Lithium-ion Battery Characterization - Marek Rouillon, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Stand Back! What is a Safe Distance for Handheld XRF Measurements?
Engaging with Urban Communities: Using Handheld XRFs to Provide Information on Domestic Garden Soils - Henry Spratt, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Crystal Structures of Hydronium Jarosite and Ammoniojarosite: Location of Hydrogen Atoms and Orientational Disorder from Powder Diffraction - Frederik Vanmeert, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerpen, Belgium
Macroscopic XRF/XRPD Scanning System for Non-Destructive Examination of Oil Paintings and Other Cultural Heritage Artefacts
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to receive a 2013 grant:
- Waleed Abuhani, Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Universidad Michoacána of San Nicholás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
Characterizing Fundamental Parameters Based Analysis for Soil-Ceramic Matrices in Polarized Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (pEDXRF) - Magnus Menzel, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Absorption of the Primary Beam in Sr-TXRF Analysis: Experimental Visualization Using a Color X-ray Camera - Nadine Rademacher, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
High Pressure Investigations of Liquid and Polymerized CO up to 20 GPa Using Pair Distribution Function Analysis - Sofiane Louidi, Université of 20 Août 1955, Skikda, Algeria
Structural Study of Nanostructured Cr-Co Based Alloys by X-ray Diffraction Line Profile Analysis - Sudheer Bandla, Oklahoma State University, Tulsa, OK, USA
Orientation, Crystallinity, and Mechanical Properties of Biaxially Stretched Polyethylene Terephthalate Films using X-ray Diffraction - Jiawanjun Shi, Alfred University, Alfred, NY, USA
Crystal Structure and Photocatalytic Studies of 2, 3, 4, and 5-Layer Aurivillius Oxides
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to receive a 2012 grant:
- Magnus Menzel, University of Hamburg, Germany
Confocal XRF Xanes Analysis of the Cathode Electrolyte Interface of Lithium-ion Batteries - Takashi Nakazawa, Osaka City University, Japan
Characterization of Layered Materials Related to Forensic Investigation by Confocal Micro-XRF and ATR-FT-IR Imaging Techniques - Hande Ozturk, Columbia University, New York, USA
A Theoretical Study of X-ray Diffraction from Nanomaterials - Ana Luisa Silva, Aveiro University, Portugal
Elemental Distribution in Biological and Art Heritage Samples by Using an Imaging Gaseous Detector Based System - Samantha Stout, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Assisted, Multispectral Imaging of Historic Drawings - Mikhail Treger, Columbia University, New York, USA
Quantitative Analysis of Room Temperature Grain Growth Kinetics in Copper Thin Films through High Resolution X-ray Diffraction - Marco Witte, RWTH Aachen, Institut Fuer Metallkade and Metallphysik, Germany
Efficient and Accurate Measurement of Very Sharp Crystallography Textures: A New Measurement Strategy