ASNT Newsroom

(Columbus, Ohio) The American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) is pleased to announce the 2026–2027 cohort of its RISE Leadership Program, welcoming 20 participants from 11 countries to the year-long leadership development experience for early-career nondestructive testing (NDT) professionals. 

Built on the FranklinCovey leadership framework, RISE prepares participants with 10 or fewer years of professional experience to grow as leaders within their organizations and the broader NDT community. The program combines leadership development, professional skills training, and organizational insight into ASNT and the NDT industry through biweekly online sessions, applied practice, and in-person engagement at ASNT events. 

“The future of our profession depends on developing strong technical leaders, not just strong technical skills. RISE gives emerging professionals the opportunity to grow as leaders while building lasting connections across the NDT community,” said Toni Kervina, CAE, ASNT Director of Content and Learning. 

Over the course of the program, participants will complete more than 60 hours of leadership training, attend two ASNT Annual Conferences, and present a capstone project at the ASNT Annual Conference. Following the program, participants commit to maintaining ASNT membership and volunteering with the Society for three years, many of whom go on to serve on ASNT councils.  

2026–2027 RISE Leadership Program Cohort 

• Kunle Adeyemo, Michigan State University, United States 

• Sabir Beroual, PhD, Center for Research in Mechanics, Algeria 

• Yedekpa Noel Benito Bly, Stract Offshore, Cote D’Ivoire 

• Gerardo Barrera Ceron, CIAC, Mexico 

• Peter Iranse, CAGL Global Company Limited, Nigeria 

• Gretchen Marsden, Tulsa Inspection Resources, LLC, United States 

• Ahmed Mohamed, Petrojet Co., Egypt 

• Roman Moore, Mistras, United States 

• Vijay Nakrani, Bhavy Industrial Testing Services, Surat, India 

• Olumide Odeyemi, University of Lagos, Canada 

• Jaiden Patton, Baja SAE, United States 

• Stephanie Pippin, GE Aerospace, United States 

• Mohammed Sbai, GE Aerospace, United States 

• Margaret Sprung, Marathon Petroleum, United States 

• Harshavarthan Venkatesh, India 

• Liu Yang, PhD, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Hong Kong 

• Afshin Yousefi, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, Canada 

• Mubarak Yousif AbdElkarim, Sudanese Thermal Power Generation Co., Sudan 

• Harsh Zala, AsInt, India 

• Tyler Zeman, Seacast, United States 

"Developing the next generation of leaders is essential to the continued strength of our profession. RISE reflects ASNT's commitment to equipping emerging leaders with the skills, relationships, and perspective they'll need to guide NDT into the future,” said Neal Couture, FASAE, CAE, ASNT CEO. 

For more information about the RISE Leadership Program, including how to apply for future cohorts, visit asnt.org/education/rise-leadership-program. 

About ASNT

ASNT is the association for nondestructive testing (NDT) professionals committed to making the world a safer place. NDT professionals detect irregularities, flaws, and defects in materials, components, and structures that could compromise the safety, reliability, or functionality of an object or structure. Established in 1941, ASNT supports members with certifications, professional development, industry insights, advocacy, events, publications, and networking opportunities and is focused on fostering the growth of future generations of NDT professionals through the ASNT Foundation. Serving more than 22 000 members and certificate holders worldwide, ASNT is the largest technical society for NDT professionals. ASNT is based in Columbus, Ohio, with offices in Houston, Texas, Washington, D.C. and Chennai, India.

Media Contact: 

Garra Liming 

Director, Public Relations & Government Affairs 

The American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) 

614-274-6003; govrelations@asnt.org