Tracks

Faculty Advisors: Antonios Zavaliangos

The role of the materials engineer in the design and processing of today’s highly sophisticated products is varied, complex, exciting and ever changing. The selection of material and its processing, product design, cost, environmental impact, performance and service have become inseparable. New, advanced materials development is the enabling factor in major parts of the economy. Innovation, short time to market, and concurrent engineering are the keys to successful design and manufacturing activities. This track contains fundamental courses on the properties and processing of engineering materials and specialization courses that span several disciplines including business, mechanical engineering and engineering management. The goal of this track is to prepare leaders in design and manufacturing that will be technically competent and aware of business/management principles.

Faculty Advisors: Michelle Marcolongo and Ulrike Wegst

Biomaterials are the enabling materials for medical devices and a broad range of health care products. The goal of studying biomaterials is to understand how the body’s natural tissues are organized on a compositional, structural, and properties basis; to understand how the body deals with foreign objects placed in its realm; and to understand how implanted materials have been successful in achieving the ultimate goal of treating debilitating diseases. Building upon a strong background in materials science and engineering in general, and a specific knowledge in applying the fundamentals of materials science and engineering to the design and manufacturing of medical products, this track will prepare engineers for a career in the medical industry, for graduate studies in biomedical engineering or related fields; engineers who will be technically competent and aware of business/management principles.

Faculty Advisor: Jonathan Spanier

The list of materials for electronics and photonics applications transcends diverse materials classes of ceramics, metals and polymers. For example, we live in an age in which electronic and/or photonic devices can be made mostly or even completely from polymeric films. New technologies in electronics and photonics will rely increasingly on understanding how inorganic and organic materials are interfaced and integrated. Graduating materials scientists and materials engineers will need a broader perspective on the possibilities of materials is required: for example, photonic functions based on hierarchal organization from Nature may provide low-cost, environmentally friendly solutions to a range of sensing and energy harvesting needs. Also, how might inorganic nanostructures produced by bottom-up synthesis methods bring electronics and photonics to new materials platforms?

This interdisciplinary materials science and engineering track is designed to prepare MSE majors for careers in the electronics or photonics industry, for graduate research programs in electronic and/or photonic materials in electrical engineering, materials science, physics, chemistry and other disciplines. The track, though academically demanding, includes coursework and practical training involving instrumentation for devices and materials analysis; a broad physical science and engineering background is also excellent preparation for medical or law school. The track provides a strong foundation for nanoscience and nanotechnology as it relates specifically to the properties of electronic and photonic materials. It has been conceived to help prepare MSE students for what they will need to compete successfully for and excel in choice Co-op positions in companies such as Micron, Intel, IBM and others, small companies, and national laboratories.

The Track combines new lecture courses in Materials, selected courses in electrical and computer engineering, physics and mechanical engineering, and can include an undergraduate research laboratory experience with a selected faculty member.

Faculty Advisor: Yury Gogotsi

Students that have selected this track will learn how to develop knowledge and techniques to work at the molecular level to create new materials, structures and devices with fundamentally new properties and functions. Nanotechnology literally means any technology done on a nanometer scale — in other words, manipulating individual atoms or molecules to build both materials and devices that are only as big as a handful of atoms. Nanotechnology will produce smart materials having a variety of properties and functions, a new generation of medical devices and drug delivery systems, the atomic-scale chips and memory of next-generation computers thousands of times more powerful than those that run on silicon technology, as well as solve many of the energy and environmental problems that our civilization is facing. Nanoscale particles and devices have already infiltrated industry and are quickly penetrating into our life. It is hard to think of an industry that isn't likely to be disrupted by nanotechnology within the next decade. Graduating materials scientists and materials engineers will need a broader perspective on the materials use at the nanoscale.

This interdisciplinary materials science and engineering track provides a strong foundation for nanoscience and nanotechnology and is designed to prepare MSE majors for future interdisciplinary careers, for graduate research programs in materials science, nanotechnology, bioengineering and other disciplines. The track includes coursework and practical training involving characterization instruments (microscopes and spectrometers) for materials imaging, manipulation and analysis at the nanoscale. This track provides a broad chemical and physical science and engineering background, which is also excellent preparation for medical or law school. It has been conceived to help prepare MSE students for what they will need to compete successfully for and excel in choice of Co-op positions at national laboratories and in companies such as DuPont, IBM, HP, Merck, GSK and others.

The Track combines lecture and courses in materials, selected courses in electrical engineering, physics, chemistry and mechanical engineering, and can include an undergraduate research laboratory experience with a selected faculty member.

Faculty Advisors: Christopher Li

Soft matter refers to (organic) materials having complex structural and dynamic properties intermediate between those of crystals and fluids. Materials belonging to this category are polymers, liquid crystals, colloids, gels and foams. Biomacromolecules such as polypeptides and DNA also belong to this category. Due to the relatively weak inter-molecular interaction, thermal fluctuations, external fields and boundary effects strongly influence the structure and properties of soft matter.

This interdisciplinary materials science and engineering track is designed to prepare MSE majors for careers in Soft materials related industry such as polymers, cosmetics, liquid crystal devices and displays, biomaterials as well as for graduate research programs such as materials science, bioengineering, chemical engineering, electric engineering, physics and chemistry. While all the soft materials will be covered during the course of the study, the track will be focusing on polymeric materials. It has been conceived to help prepare MSE students for what they will need to compete successfully for and excel in choice Co-op positions in companies such as DuPont, Arkema, Rohm and Haas, Merck etc.

The Track combines new lecture courses in Materials, selected courses in chemical engineering, chemistry and mechanical engineering, and can include an undergraduate research laboratory experience with a selected faculty member.

Faculty Advisors: Rick Knight or other MSE faculty member

In addition to the tracks noted above, any reasonably cohesive group of 4–5 technical electives (12–18 credits) can be approved as a track by a faculty advisor.