Richard Brazill, a technical specialist in the Product Design and Development Division at Alcoa Technical Center, Alcoa Center, Pa., has received the ASTM International Award of Merit and accompanying title of fellow from Committee B07 on Light Metals and Alloys.  The Award of Merit is the highest organizational recognition for individual contributions to ASTM standards activities.

The committee cited Brazill "for exceptional and sustained leadership and technical contributions within Committees B07, E08 and E28 in developing and improving test methods for light metals and alloys."

Brazill, who joined ASTM International in 1981, is chair of Subcommittee B07.05 on Testing.  In addition to his work with B07, he also serves on ASTM Committees E08 on Fatigue and Fracture and E28 on Mechanical Testing. In 1995, Committee E28 recognized him with an Award of Appreciation for his active participation in several ASTM testing and standardization programs.

A graduate of Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa., where he received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's in applied mechanics, Brazill has worked in various engineering positions at Alcoa since he joined the staff in 1981.  In his current role, which he assumed in 1998, he is responsible for fatigue and fracture characterization of newly commercialized aerospace alloys.  He also oversees the development and implementation of new test methods in the Alcoa Fatigue and Fracture Testing Laboratory, where he consults with testing labs throughout the Alcoa system.

In addition to ASTM International, Brazill is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and acts as the Alcoa liaison with City College of New York, where he mentors engineering students by providing technical assistance on a number of Alcoa-sponsored design projects.  He has served as a category judge for the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair for more than 10 years and is a contributor to Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers.

Release #8083/Oct08