Mario Longhi, president and chief executive officer of United States Steel Corporation, was named "Steelmaker of the Year" at AISTech 2015 — The Iron & Steel Technology Conference and Exposition, managed by The Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST). The Steelmaker of the Year Award is presented annually by AIST to recognize notable leaders and their contributions to the steel industry.
 
Mr. Longhi received the honor on 5 May during the conference's President's Award Breakfast, recognizing him as a transformative leader dedicated to the safety and well-being of every employee and affiliate of the company, and as a champion of change who drives performance through innovation, inspiration and human capability. Through his high-energy leadership of the enterprise-wide Carnegie Way transformation, he is committed to reinventing United States Steel Corporation and restoring its role as an icon of the global steel industry.
 
While accepting the award, Mr. Longhi said, "It is a true honor to stand before you and represent U. S. Steel. When you honor myself and U. S. Steel, all of our organizations are honored. We represent not just the steel industry but the resilience of our people and our economies to thrive. I have no doubt that what we do is critical to the future of a successful economy... what you do every day means something to the lives of others, and is the measure of a good life, a life that matters."
 
Other award winners announced during the President's Award Breakfast included:
 
AIST Distinguished Member and Fellow Awards — 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.
 
Kenneth E. Blazek, principal research engineer, ArcelorMittal Global R&D, East Chicago, Ind., USA
 
Blazek received this award in recognition of his significant contributions to the scientific understanding of continuous casting, and for his distinguished service to AIST spanning more than half a century.
 
Blazek said, "This is the award I treasure most. Back in 1970, I remember looking at people receiving awards and admiring them, hoping to receive an award in the future. I received it 44 years later and feel fortunate. AIST has provided me with a platform that contributed to my success and made me what I am today."

Anthony R. Bridge, chief operating officer, Chester Engineers, Moon Twp., Pa., USA
 
Bridge received this honor in recognition of his inspirational career dedicated to the evolution of blast furnace and alternative iron production technologies.  His steadfast management of personnel and process, as well as his leadership of AIST as its president, earned the respect of his peers.
 
Bridge said, "I am humbled, proud and grateful for this award. All of my work over the years has been a labor of love. Thank you to AIST for its dedication of service to the industry that I've learned to love."
 
Bruno C. De Cooman, professor, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Kyungbuk, Pohang, Korea
 
De Cooman received this award for his meritorious service to the steel industry through relevant research for advanced steel rolling and processing, and for his enduring efforts to educate industry professionals through curriculum development and teaching within the university system and AIST programs.
 
De Cooman said, "Thank you to AIST for this prestigious award. I hope to continue to work on steel research and innovation within the North American steel industry."
 
Andrew Harshaw, chief executive officer, ArcelorMittal USA, Burns Harbor, Ind., USA
 
Harshaw received this honor in recognition of his distinguished career in integrated steel manufacturing operations and maintenance throughout North America, and for his exceptional leadership and service to AIST. His ability to motivate and inspire his colleagues, combined with his astute technical expertise, are without equal.
 
Harshaw said, "Thank you to AIST for allowing me to work closely with the association throughout the years. The old saying, 'you get more than you give,' has never been truer."

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.
 
Lourenco Goncalves, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Cliffs Natural Resources Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, USA
 
Goncalves' keynote lecture was entitled "Global Iron and Steel Outlook."

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.
            
Frank L. Kemeny, president, Nupro Corp., Lewiston, N.Y., USA
 
Kemeny received this honor for outstanding contributions to the steel industry through the development of innovative sensors and process control systems. His novel applications of measurement, control and automation technologies have led to significant process improvements and have advanced the understanding of steel production.
 
Kemeny said, "I am humbled and appreciative of this award. I'd like to give a special thanks to my wife and my colleagues who worked tirelessly to help foster technical development. We shared work, enthusiasm and entrepreneurship. This environment helps develop technical advancements to keep the industry thriving for years to come."


Howe Memorial Lecture — This award was established in 1923 to honor the late professor Henry Marion Howe, who helped turn steelmaking from an art into a science. This honorary lecturer is selected in recognition of individual outstanding contributions to the science and practice of iron and steel metallurgy or metallography.

Yakov M. Gordon, technical director, ironmaking, Hatch Ltd., Mississauga, Ont., Canada
 
Dr. Gordon's presentation was titled "The Role of Engineering Consultancy in the Transformation of a Technology Idea to a Working Process Plant."
 
While accepting the award, Dr. Gordon said, "Thank you to my partners and teachers who brought my family to Canada in 1995. This move provided great opportunities."

John F. Elliott Lectureship — 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.
 
Richard C. Sussman, president and chief executive officer, Enhanced Technology Service LLC, Munster, Ind., USA
 
Dr. Sussman received this award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to product-process manufacturability research. An accomplished Elliott scholar, his research and operational expertise have added significant value to the carbon, stainless and specialty steel industries. His lecture is titled, "Process Chemical Metallurgy Challenges for the Production of the Next Generation of Steel Products."
 
Sussman said, "Thanks to AIST and all of my friends and family for support throughout the years. It is exciting to present advancements in technology. Professor Elliott was my teacher and mentor in life. He was respected in his discipline, and to represent him with this lectureship is the highest honor."

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.
 
Lawrence J. Heaslip, technical director, Interflow Techserv Inc., Grand Bend, Ont., Canada

Heaslip received this honor for his relentless dedication to the steel industry and to those of us who work in it.  As Aristotle said, "Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach." In the role of a teacher, Heaslip shared his steelmaking expertise and experience without reservation. He is recognized for his enduring personal commitment to the AIST Electric Arc Furnace Training Seminar and to the education of steelmakers.
 
Heaslip said, "Thanks to the Board of Directors and committee for this great honor. Thank you to my wife, Peggy, my family and my business partner for 30 years, James Dorricott. I am honored to be acknowledged with the countless others on the list. I'd also like to give a special thanks to Alex McLean who inspired me to pass on his love for the science and art of steelmaking to more than 6,000 students and young professionals."

Hunt-Kelly Outstanding Paper Award (AIME) — This award recognizes the author(s) of the best published paper of the previous year: US$5,000 for first place, US$2,500 for second place and US$1,000 for third place.

First Place — Stephen D. Chung, Joydeep Sengupta, Mehrnoosh Afnan-Alaie, ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc.
 
These authors were selected to receive this year's honor for their paper entitled, "Stopper Rod Dithering Trials at ArcelorMittal Dofasco's No. 1 Continuous Caster."
 
Second Place — Eugene B. Pretorius, Helmut G. Oltmann, Brian T. Schart, Nucor Steel–Berkeley
 
These authors were selected to receive this award for their paper entitled, "An Overview of Steel Cleanliness From an Industry Perspective."
 
Third Place — Hans-Jürgen Odenthal, Pavlo Grygorov, Markus Reifferscheid, Jochen Schlüter, SMS Siemag AG
 
These authors were selected for their paper entitled, "Advanced Blowing and Stirring Conditions in the BOF Process."

AISTech 2015 is one of the largest gatherings of industry personnel in the world this year. The four-day conference program encompassed more than 550 technical presentations, and exhibits by over 530 domestic and international companies.

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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.