A UCSB doctoral student is winning an award this week for his research on carbon fiber – a material used in everything from cell phone covers to fighter jets.

Paolo Feraboli will be awarded the 2004 Ph.D. Research Award at the 19th annual American Society for Composites conference held in Atlanta. Feraboli will be honored Tuesday for his doctoral thesis titled “A New Composite Structure Impact Performance Assessment Program.” Feraboli’s work, conducted at UCSB, concentrates on measuring and evaluating damage in composite materials that are increasingly being used to replace metal components in high-performance aircraft and cars.

The award is only given out once a year, making it a highly valued prize. Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Feraboli’s faculty advisor, Dr. Keith Kedward said the award is a great achievement.

“Not very many people get it,” Kedward said. “You don’t see it on many resum