The first incarnation of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MatSE) was established 115 years ago this year with an emphasis on metallurgy. Over time, additional areas of emphasis were added, and today we celebrate this important milestone as being one of the premier MatSE departments in the United States and the world. This is evidenced from the many discoveries and advancements of the field enabled by research carried out at Penn State and its status as a materials science and engineering powerhouse as indicated by its fourth consecutive year as number one in materials science and number two in materials engineering in the United States based on National Science Foundation total research expenditures.
Arguably the most important impact MatSE has had on the field is the high-quality education we provide our students, as demonstrated by the varied accomplishments of our alumni. Their strong support ensures that we are able to build on our legacy of excellence. In this issue, you will read about alumni who help guide MatSE’s future through service on the department’s External Advisory Board (EAB), including our past EAB Chair Ruth Ann Wood and our two newest EAB members, Melissa Hockstad and Amit Das.
This newsletter also includes many of the honors and awards bestowed on our current students and faculty, who continue the department’s legacy of excellence. Especially noteworthy is John Mauro’s election to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest honors in our field and an honor shared by MatSE colleagues Kwadwo Osseo-Asare and Susan Trolier-McKinstry.
Our featured research stories in this issue includes Associate Professor Robert Hickey's work on an innovative new strategy for creating fiber actuators inspired by the structure of muscles. Another interesting article is about an international collaboration led by Penn State researchers that has developed a new tool to reduce the time and resources involved in determining which materials can be best applied in wearable technology, including biomedical devices. Assistant Professor Wesley Reinhart researches the artificial intelligence
behind deepfakes that may power materials design innovations. As you can see from this sampling, our department members are involved in some very exciting research.
Summer in State College is a wonderful time of year, and if you plan to visit campus, I hope you will contact me at sinnott@matse.psu.edu or 814-863-3117. It is always a pleasure to meet with alumni and friends of MatSE. I hope to welcome you back to our beautiful campus soon, during this, our 115th anniversary.
Susan B. Sinnott
Professor and Head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering
To read more about stories mentioned above visit Imagine, Summer 2022.