In January 2025, a corrosion research engineer with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) (Washington, DC, USA) received the highest honor bestowed to early career U.S. government scientists and engineers.
Many naval platforms operate in a harsh marine environment that constantly threatens the sustainability of assets and the safety of sailors and Marines. To address this, Mary E. Parker, Ph.D.—a materials research engineer at the NRL Center for Corrosion Science and Engineering—specializes in advanced materials, galvanic compatibility, and the many ways corrosion directly impacts asset design, availability, and sustainability.
As NRL explains, corrosion is a nationwide and worldwide challenge. It impacts all classes of engineering materials and systems, particularly both public and private infrastructure; oil and gas platforms and piping; commercial ships; power production plants; and the chemical production industry. In the marine environment, naturally occurring salts present in seawater can create highly corrosive conditions for metallic materials.
“I chose a career in materials science and electrochemistry because I love understanding the ‘why’ behind material behavior,” Parker says. “In my time at NRL, I have had the privilege of applying my interest in science and engineering to solve impactful problems for the Navy. It is such an honor to receive a PECASE (Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers) award.”
According to NRL, Parker was a critical member of a team that conducted the most substantial assessment of marine corrosion alloy behavior since the 1980s. She analyzed 33 alloys over multi-year experiments to address longstanding technical gaps in corrosion science, material performance, and material compatibility.
Notably, she assessed the impact of cathodic ennoblement on crevice corrosion initiation in many highly alloyed corrosion- resistant materials. Her findings were in direct contrast to conventionally assumed immunity for these alloys in seawater.
Parker says she is grateful to the advisors and mentors who have supported her throughout her career, and she hopes to pass that same gift on to the young scientists and engineers whom she mentors.
“It is extremely rewarding to see my work have a meaningful impact on the fleet,” Parker says. “One of the best things about leading applied research efforts is seeing ideas that began as laboratory-scale theories become successful out in the real world. As someone who identifies as both a scientist and an engineer, I love being the bridge between the research lab and full-scale applications.”
In her work on galvanic compatibility of marine materials, she provided the foundational data used to quantify material interactions as well as design guidance to prevent deleterious effects. These data have since been called upon by several naval ship construction programs to evaluate designs and provide the basis for specification requirements for future designs of Navy ships.
PECASE Program Details, Other 2024 Winners
Parker was one of four researchers named in a White House press release from the Biden-Harris Administration, which announced the 2024 winners. The PECASE program was established in 1996 by President Clinton to recognize scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential for leadership early in their careers.
The awards are designed to recognize innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology. They are also intended to raise awareness of careers in science and engineering; recognize the scientific missions of participating agencies; enhance connections between research and impacts on society; and highlight the importance of science and technology for the nation’s future.
“We at NRL are very proud of the awardees,” says John Russell, Ph.D., superintendent of NRL’s chemistry division “Their research accomplishments are being recognized for their significant contributions to science in support of the missions of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The awardees are representative of the quality of the workforce and research program at NRL.”
Other 2024 winners include Rachel Carter, Ph.D., a mechanical engineer from NRL’s alternative energy section, and Brian T. Bojko, Ph.D., and Ryan F. Johnson, Ph.D., who are both aerospace engineers within NRL’s laboratories for computational physics and fluid dynamics section. Carter, Bojko, and Johnson’s research involves the development of solutions within next-generation energy storage, solid-fuel combustion for use in high-speed propulsion devices, and solving large-scale chemically reacting flow problems.
Source: NRL, www.nrl.navy.mil.