Materials Science and Engineering is the interdisciplinary field focused on the development and application of new materials with desirable properties and microstructures. Disciplines in the physical sciences and engineering fields frequently play a central role in developing the fundamental knowledge that is needed for materials studies. The discipline of Materials Science and Engineering integrates this knowledge and uses it to design and develop new materials and to mate these with appropriate technological needs.
The majority of the IMSE user facilities are located in the basement of Rudolph Hall (Earth and Planetary Sciences), including a 14,000 net sq ft facility opened in Fall 2013 which includes a nanofabrication facility and a materials characterization facility These facilities are available for use by researchers both inside and outside the university. Please email the relevant point of contact regarding user fees, training, and scheduling.
The IMSE offers an interdisciplinary PhD program in Materials Science and Engineering designed to allow students to easily work across departmental boundaries. Students apply directly to the IMSE, pursue coursework offered by several of the member departments, and conduct their thesis research with the mentorship of interdisciplinary faculty teams. This allows our students to take advantage of the rich breadth of materials science expertise and facilities across the University.
In the quest to design more efficient solar cells and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a team of engineers has analyzed different types of defects in the semiconductor material that enables such devices to determine if and how they affect performance.
IMSE Director
Edwin H. & Florence G. Skinner Professor in the Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering
