Joshua Gardner of Rockbridge County graduated Saturday, May 16, from Virginia Tech with a master’s degree in materials science and engineering, summa cum laude.
Since earning his bachelor’s degree from VT in 2023, Gardner’s post-graduate work in VT’s Material Science department focused on designing high voltage power control modules and developing electric cooling systems for power conversion technologies.
His job, as both a scientist and an engineer, was to design and develop materials and ways to make the use of electrical power in new technologies more efficient. His work and research was part of several projects funded and organized by VT’s Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES), LG Magna E-Powertrain Co., and the United States Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E). He also worked as a graduate teaching assistant.
Gardner will continue studying and working at VT in the Material Science department while pursuing a doctorate in engineering education. A 2011 graduate of Parry McCluer High School, he holds associates degrees from Virginia Western and Mountain Gateway community colleges. He is the son of Dr. Richard and Naomi Gardner of Buena Vista. He and his wife Karyn live in Arnolds Valley.
