Materials Science and Engineering

How shattered glass became Masha Lebedeva’s clear path to materials science and engineering
Masha Lebedeva realized – "Materials engineering is exactly what I was looking for. I just didn't know it was there." Read More

July 11, 2023
Goldwater winner Nicholas Oldham’s undergrad research experiences provides confidence to pursue passions
Nicholas Oldham, sophomore in materials engineering, was one of four Iowa State students to be chosen for the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship, which is the premier undergraduate scholarship in mathematics, natural sciences and engineering in the U.S. Read More

May 12, 2023
Paige Wogahn and Skyler Burke’s award-winning business idea: Lint rollers, but for broken glass
The sixth annual Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship college-by-college pitch off was held in March, and two Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) students won first place in the College of Engineering’s “new idea” competition. MSE seniors Skyler Burke and Paige Wogahn started out by competing against other engineering students who created new products, winning first place for the College. Read More

May 9, 2023
Georgia Wimmer: Dean’s Student Leadership Award winner
"My professors and classmates have given me something to look forward to every single day – just by being themselves. There’s no way to quantify the impact I have had on the people around me, but if it’s anywhere close to how they have influenced me, then that is something that I am very proud of." Read More

May 8, 2023
Dan Shechtman elected to National Academy of Sciences
Dan Schechtman, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor of Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, a prestigious honor recognizing contributions to scientific research. Read More

May 8, 2023
Adam Eichhorn: Outstanding senior in materials engineering
"Engineering like a Cyclone Engineer means being involved in the community around you. Any problem that’s worth solving requires a team of different people." Read More

May 2, 2023
Materials engineering major Nicholas Oldham lands prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
Nicholas Oldham, sophomore in materials engineering, has been named a Goldwater Scholar, the premier undergrad scholarship in STEM. Read More

April 5, 2023
Innovation at Work: Nearly four decades of study filling 46 lab notebooks – all for better batteries
Steve Martin has seven plaques hanging above his office windows, each commemorating an invention or co-invention, each showing off the front page of an official U.S. patent. As you’d expect, a patent is a technical document. Just browse those plaques in Martin’s Hoover Hall office, most of them related to new glassy materials... Read More

April 4, 2023
Bridging the gaps for graduate students
Started in 2019, Graduates for Advancing Professional Skills (GAPS) is an opportunity for graduate students to close the gap between academic research skills and what their future employer expects. It was born from Jiang’s desire to better equip students with real-world soft skills. Read More

February 27, 2023
Excellence Award goes to ISU Material Advantage Chapter
The Iowa State University Material Advantage (MA) Chapter won a Chapter of Excellence Award from the international student program at the 2022 annual Materials Science and Technology Conference held in Pittsburgh last October. Read More

January 26, 2023
MSE senior makes scholarship history
Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) senior Ricardo Ortega made history as the first ever Iowa State student to be selected to receive the prestigious Copper Club Scholarship. Read More

January 23, 2023
Pitching plastics: innovation to entrepreneurship
Shan Jiang, associate professor in MSE, wanted a way to connect student’s innovation with entrepreneurship, all while remaining sustainable. “You can teach a theory, but it is impossible to teach innovation,” Jiang said. “However, if you give students a problem they are engaged in, they will try their best, they will innovate on things they are passionate about. That is the challenge, combining what they learn in the classroom and using topics they are enthusiast about.” Read More

January 22, 2023
MSE alumnus helps next generation of materials science engineers
Auliff always felt an affinity toward chemistry and physics, and after falling in love with the park-like atmosphere of Iowa State’s Central Campus on a visit during high school, he started evaluating different engineering departments. MSE was the ideal fit for him. Read More

January 11, 2023
Vitalij Pecharsky, Ames Lab Scientist and Distinguished Professor at Iowa State University, dies
Vitalij Pecharsky, Ames National Laboratory Scientist and Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Iowa State University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering, died on Tuesday, Dec. 20, aged 68. Read More

January 4, 2023
Shaden Tweeten: Outstanding senior in materials engineering
Shaden Tweeten is the fall 2022 outstanding senior in materials engineering. Read More

December 6, 2022