Georgia Southern becomes the first university in the state of Georgia to receive Foundry Educational Foundation certification.

By: Addie Robinson

In 2019, a chapter of the American Foundry Society was formed at Georgia Southern, led by Mingzhi Xu, who received his doctorate in Metallurgical Engineering from Missouri University. With this new chapter, both mechanical and manufacturing engineering students are starting to receive significant national attention.

Metal casting is “the process of pouring molten metal into an empty shaped space.” (reliance-foundry.com). It is the sole focus of the American Foundry Society, and the Foundry Educational Foundation.

Xu has an extensive history with metal casting, alongside teaching the process at Georgia Southern as well. As a recipient of the Junior Faculty Award from the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, Xu’s success is being passed onto his students.

Xu strives to encourage younger engineering students to be more involved in the metal casting industry and create an emphasis on metal casting. He is looking to create new courses in metal casting in the process, such as a dedicated metal casting class and a microstructure steel course. 

With leadership from Xu, Georgia Southern has received certification from the Foundry Educational Foundation, an organization dedicated to strengthening the partnerships between students and companies around the globe.

The FEF requires at least two years of affiliation before a chapter of the AFS can qualify for certification. During the certification process, the higher a program scores, the longer it can keep its certification before having to reapply for it. Georgia Southern is the first university in Georgia to receive certification, scoring almost ninety points after only three years of involvement. This means they can keep their certification for five years without having to reapply for certification.

Nick Bacik, annual giving and relationship manager for the FEF said that this certification means that the school will receive more recognition and more funding for more projects, lab equipment, and even travel costs.

Xander Bowen, Vice President of the Georgia Southern chapter, said that he is hoping to invite the engineering students at Statesboro High School on a field trip to watch a demo of the casting process. “It would be a really good experience for them to see metal casting live in person.” Bowen said. Bowen’s goals for the future are to expand recruiting, and hopefully get more freshmen and sophomores involved in the chapter. “I like having our small group because it feels like a family, but getting more people involved will also help us grow and be able to do more projects.” Said Bowen.

In a few weeks, they will be presenting projects at the AFS Southeast Regional Convention in Savannah, where they will be going head to head with groups from Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, and more later in the semester in the national competition in Ohio. Bowen’s team will be competing at the national competition in making a Celtic Sword, with one of the judges being from the television show “Forged in Fire.”

Xu has high hopes for the chapter, as it has become one of the fastest-growing programs in the nation. Many of the top schools that are involved with the FEF have had their programs for upwards of 50 years, including powerhouses such as Ohio State University, University of Alabama, and Penn State University. Georgia Southern, with only three years of involvement, is already making a name for itself. Xu is pushing for the chapter to become a more matured program, with better facilities and more equipment. With such ambitious goals and the upward growth of the program, Xu and the Georgia Southern chapter of the American Foundry Society are sure to make some sparks fly.