Roger Newport Named Steelmaker of the Year at AISTech 2017

While accepting the award, Mr. Newport said, “It is great to be part of the largest steel event in the world and having so many steel industry experts in one room. This award reflects what our team has done — a lot of them are here today. Innovation allows us to focus on products our customers need and ones they don’t even know they need yet. Customers are excited about what we’re doing as a company and what we’re doing for the industry. We at AK Steel believe the future of steel is now.”

Other award winners announced during the President’s Award Breakfast included:

AIST Distinguished Member and Fellow Award — Established in 1975, the Distinguished Member and Fellow Award is presented to an AIST member who has attained eminent distinction in advancing the technical development, production, processing and application of iron and steel and/or related activities of the industry, and has performed meritorious service to the association.

Lourenco Goncalves, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Cliffs Natural Resources Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Goncalves received the award in recognition of his distinguished career in the global metals and mining industry, and for his 35 years of passionate, visionary and thoughtful leadership. His positive influence as a strong leader and vocal advocate has advanced the technical development, production, processing and application of iron and steel.
Goncalves said, “It is a pleasure to be here and receive this award. It is very important to be here and emphasize the importance of AIST for our business, industry and technology. It’s good to be around people who value knowledge, the importance of past and the importance of the future of steel.”

Steven S. Hansen, vice president and chief technical officer, SSAB Americas, Lisle, Ill., USA

Hansen received this honor for his exceptional leadership at both integrated steel mills and mini-mills, his valuable technical contributions to the development of numerous steel products, his service as a role model and mentor for engineers and co-workers, and his dedication to fostering the next generation of industry professionals through his work with the AIST Foundation.

While receiving his award, Hansen said, “Thank you to the AIST Board of Directors, Board of Trustees, colleagues, my wife and daughters. We have an opportunity and obligation to share our passion and knowledge with the younger generation. To paraphrase, President John F. Kennedy, ‘Ask not what steel can do for you. Ask what you can do for the steel industry.’ I am deeply humbled to accept this award.”

Michael J. Strelbisky, president, Tallman Bronze Co., Burlington, Ont., Canada

Strelbisky received this award for his relentless scientific drive to improve steelmaking process and technology; his passion to serve as a global ambassador for AIST; and his instrumental role in the evolution of the AIST Study Tour program, which has fostered the international exchange of ideas and fellowship on the path toward creating a sustainable iron and steel industry.

Strelbisky said, “I would like to thank my colleagues and AIST. I encourage all AIST members to get involved and use your talents to advance the industry.”

Brian G. Thomas, professor, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo., USA

Thomas received this award in recognition of his significant contributions to the understanding and improvement of the continuous casting of steel. As one of the world’s leading experts in the field of validated computational models, his work has provided scientific explanations for the formation of unique casting defects; as a professional, he has distinguished himself as a prolific author, researcher, academic and innovator.

Thomas said, “It is really an honor to receive this award. I’m humbled to be included in the list of true giants in this field. I owe gratitude to a number of people, especially the 100 excellent graduate students in research.”

AIST William T. Hogan, S.J. Lecture Award — Established in 1990, this honorary lecturer is selected in recognition of individual outstanding leadership to the iron and steel industry, with selected lectures covering trade, economics, steel industry operations, developments or forecasts.

David L. Stickler, chief executive officer, Big River Steel, Osceola, Ark., USA

Stickler’s keynote lecture was titled, “Big River Steel: A Technology Company That Just Happens to Make Steel.”

During his presentation, Stickler said, “We began construction on our facility in July 2014. Our first lines were completed in 19 months. I had a neighbor down the street who built an addition on his garage that took longer to build than our entire mill.”

AIST Tadeusz Sendzimir Memorial Medal — This distinguished award was established in 1990 to perpetuate the memory of Dr. Tadeusz Sendzimir’s achievements and engineering contributions in developing process equipment for the steel industry. The award is presented in recognition of an individual who has advanced steelmaking through the invention, development or application of new manufacturing processes or equipment.

Joseph Hollman, vice president general engineering, Paul Wurth S.A., Luxembourg

Hollman received this honor for his instrumental role in the development and promotion of the Paul Wurth Bell-Less Top blast furnace charging system, presently utilized in 60% of global hot metal production. His wealth of knowledge and equipment innovation has played a key role in blast furnace design and optimization.

John F. Elliott Lectureship Award — Established in 1990, this honorary lectureship is designed to acquaint students and engineers with the exciting opportunities in chemical process metallurgy and materials chemistry. This lecturer is selected in recognition of distinguished contributions in chemical process metallurgy and materials chemistry to the iron and steel industry.

Donald R. Sadoway, John F. Elliott Professor of Materials Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., USA

Sadoway received this award for his acclaimed work in chemical metallurgy; his innovative solutions to global energy problems, including liquid metal batteries for grid-level storage; and his effective roles as a researcher, teacher, entrepreneur and inventor. His exemplary skills inside the classroom as a teacher, lecturer and mentor have inspired countless future material scientists.

Sadoway said, “Almost 39 years ago to the day, I interviewed with John Elliott for a faculty position at MIT. It was the scariest 45 minutes of my life. John had very high standards, especially when it came to steel. It is with great honor I accept this award.”

Howe Memorial Lecture — The AIST Howe Memorial Lecture Award was established in 1923 to honor the late professor Henry Marion Howe, who helped turn steelmaking from an art into a science. 

Harry Bhadeshia, Tata Steel Professor of Metallurgy and director, SKF Steel Technology Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, U.K.

Bhadeshia presented his lecture on Monday, 8 May, at AISTech 2017. His lecture was titled, “Extremely Strong Steels – The Mechanism and Prevention of Hydrogen Embrittlement.”

Benjamin F. Fairless Award (AIME) — This award was established in 1954 in honor of Benjamin F. Fairless, chairman of the board of United States Steel Corporation, for his intense interest in the technology and development of the iron and steel industry. This award recognizes distinguished achievement in iron and steel production and ferrous metallurgy.

George F. Vander Voort, consultant, George Vander Voort Consulting, Wadsworth, Ill., USA

Vander Voort received this award for his significant advancements in metallography and metallurgy and application of those advances to the betterment of industry and society; his passion to share this knowledge with students and industry professionals, particularly through his seminal text, Metallography: Principles and Practice; and his influential leadership with standards and professional organizations.

Vander Voort said, “What an honor. I would like to thank my former colleagues for the nomination of this prestigious award. This recognition is really appreciated and I thank AIST very much.”

Hunt-Kelly Outstanding Paper Award (AIME) — This award recognizes the author(s) of the best published paper from AISTech conference proceedings or Iron & Steel Technology of the previous year. AIME awards US$5,000 for first place, US$2,500 for second place and US$1,000 for third place.

First Place

• Tyamo Okosun, Ph.D. candidate and graduate researcher, Center for Innovation Through Visualization and Simulation, Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, Ind., USA
• Stuart J. Street, technical manager, Ironmaking, AK Steel Corp. – Dearborn Works, Dearborn, Mich, USA
• Yan Chen, Center for Innovation Through Visualization and Simulation, Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, Ind., USA
• Jiaqu Zhao, Center for Innovation Through Visualization and Simulation, Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, Ind., USA
• Bin Wu, project manager, Northern Indiana Public Service Co., Valparaiso, Ind., USA
• Chenn Q. Zhou, director, Center for Innovation Through Visualization and Simulation, Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, Ind., USA

These authors were selected to receive this year’s honor for their paper titled, “Investigation of Co-Injection of Natural Gas and Pulverized Coal in a Blast Furnace.”

Second Place

• Suk-Chun Moon, research fellow, University of Wollongong, Figtree, NSW
• Rian Dippenaar, professor, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
• Seong-Yeon Kim, team leader, POSCO, Gwangyang-si, Jeonnam, South Korea

These authors were selected to receive this award for their paper titled, “The Peritectic Phase Transition of Steel During the Initial Stages of Solidification in the Mold.”

Third Place

• Nagendra Singh, engineer, operating technology, ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor, Burns Harbor, Ind., USA
• Timothy L. Candiano, division manager, coke producing, ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor, Burns Harbor, Ind., USA
• Dale E. Heinz, senior division manager, primary operations, ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor, Burns Harbor, Ind., USA

These authors were selected for the paper titled, “No. 1 Battery Collecting Main Replacement and Roof Repair Project.”

AISTech is one of the world’s largest annual gatherings of steel industry personnel this year. The four-day program encompassed more than 550 technical presentations, and exhibits by over 530 domestic and international companies.

AIST is an international technical association of more than 17,500 professional and student members, representing iron and steel producers, their allied suppliers and related academia. The association is dedicated to advancing the technical development, production, processing and application of iron and steel.