MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE)

“This is the whole idea—getting the word out there about materials science,” says Julian Rackwitz, coordinator of the Materials Genome Camp at MIT. “If people in a science class or an after-school club see something that gets them excited—that’s how they get started and go in this direction.”

Teaching material: MIT camp gives educators materials science skills - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News Teaching material: MIT camp gives educators materials science skills Jason Sparapani | July 26, 2024 Teaching material: MIT camp gives educators materials science skills Teachers from the United States and Canada explore hands-on experiments to enhance science lessons back home. Categories...

“Proton conductors are needed in clean energy conversion applications such as fuel cells, where we use hydrogen to produce carbon dioxide-free electricity,” explains DMSE’s Professor Bilge Yildiz. “We need materials that can transport protons very fast through such devices.”

Proton-conducting materials could enable new green energy technologies - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News Proton-conducting materials could enable new green energy technologies David L. Chandler | MIT News | July 23, 2024 Proton-conducting materials could enable new green energy technologies Analysis and materials identified by MIT engineers could lead to more energy-efficient fuel cells, elec...

DMSE's Professor Elsa Olivetti leads the mission to decarbonize energy and industry. Olivetti analyzes and improves the environmental sustainability of materials throughout the life cycle and across the supply chain, by linking physical and chemical processes to systems impact.

Mission directors announced for the Climate Project at MIT - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News Mission directors announced for the Climate Project at MIT Peter Dizikes | MIT News | July 24, 2024 Mission directors announced for the Climate Project at MIT The effort to accelerate climate work at the Institute adds six directors to its leadership team, with DMSE's Professor Elsa Olivet...

To study the arrangement of atoms in metals using machine learning, it helps to think of a connect-the-dots game in a coloring book, says Yifan Cao, one of the authors of the MIT study. “You need to know the rules for connecting the dots to see the pattern."

Machine learning unlocks secrets to advanced alloys - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News Machine learning unlocks secrets to advanced alloys Poornima Apte | Department of Materials Science and Engineering | July 18, 2024 Machine learning unlocks secrets to advanced alloys A MIT team uses computer models to measure atomic patterns in metals, essential for designing custom mater...

“IDEAS speaks to the core of what MIT needs: innovators capable of thinking critically about problems within their communities,” says DMSE Professor Christine Ortiz.

Empowering future innovators through a social impact lens - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News Empowering future innovators through a social impact lens PKG Center | July 10, 2024 Empowering future innovators through a social impact lens DMSE's Christine Ortiz gives the keynote at the IDEAS showcase, highlighting student innovations from the 2024 IDEAS Social Innovation Challenge. C...

“John was the person who really built up what became MIT’s modern microscopy expertise,” says DMSE's Professor Emeritus Samuel M. Allen.

Professor Emeritus John Vander Sande, microscopist, entrepreneur, and admired mentor, dies at 80 - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News Professor Emeritus John Vander Sande, microscopist, entrepreneur, and admired mentor, dies at 80 Jason Sparapani | Department of Materials Science and Engineering | July 15, 2024 Professor Emeritus John Vander Sande, microscopist, entrepreneur, and admired mentor, dies at 80 A trailblazer....

Anikeeva’s Bioelectronics Group focuses on developing magnetic and optoelectronic tools to study neural communication in health and disease. Their goal is to develop minimally invasive treatments for a range of neurological, psychiatric, and metabolic conditions.

Polina Anikeeva named head of DMSE - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News Polina Anikeeva named head of DMSE Mary Beth Gallagher | School of Engineering | July 15, 2024 Polina Anikeeva named head of DMSE Anikeeva, who conducts research at the intersection of materials science, electronics, and neurobiology, succeeds Caroline Ross. Categories: Faculty, Department...

DMSE seniors Ellie Vaserman and Mishael Quraishi were interviewed by Kelly Cobiella of NBC News in the newly unearthed Blue Room in Pompei, Italy, in June. Vaserman and Quraishi were at the site as part of a group of students in 3.094 Materials in Human Experience who spent two weeks at archaeological sites in Italy doing research on Roman concrete, construction materials, and metals. https://buff.ly/4672pje

“We can produce membranes with pore sizes from the molecular scale up to the size of a human hair in diameter, and everything in between,” says Brendan Smith PhD ’18, co-founder and CEO of DMSE startup SiTration.

Pioneering the future of materials extraction - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News Pioneering the future of materials extraction Lauren Paul | June 27, 2024 Pioneering the future of materials extraction DMSE spinoff SiTration looks to disrupt industries with a revolutionary process for recovering and extracting critical materials. Categories: Alumni, Faculty, Energy and....

With the right policies in place, “one can be optimistic,” says DMSE's Elsa Olivetti, whose study indicates that with a nationwide bottle deposit program, recycling rates could increase 82%.

How to increase the rate of plastics recycling - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News How to increase the rate of plastics recycling David L. Chandler | MIT News | July 3, 2024 How to increase the rate of plastics recycling A national bottle deposit fee could make a dramatic difference in reducing plastic waste, MIT researchers report. Categories: Faculty, Research, Energy....

Through careful selection of the alloying elements and their relative proportions, and of the way the material is processed, says DMSE’s C. Cem Tasan, “you can create various different structures, and this creates a big playground for you to get good property combinations.”

MIT researchers identify routes to stronger titanium alloys - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News MIT researchers identify routes to stronger titanium alloys David L. Chandler | MIT News | July 2, 2024 MIT researchers identify routes to stronger titanium alloys The new design approach could be used to produce metals with exceptional combinations of strength and ductility, for aerospace...

Simply put, our staff’s contributions are invaluable,” said Dean of Engineering Anantha Chandrakasan, at a ceremony June 25, “from managing multimillion dollar budgets, supporting our faculty, overseeing complex programs, and fostering a warm, friendly environment for our students.”

Rebecca Shepardson and Mahia Brown honored with 2024 Infinite Mile Awards - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News Rebecca Shepardson and Mahia Brown honored with 2024 Infinite Mile Awards Jason Sparapani | July 1, 2024 Rebecca Shepardson and Mahia Brown honored with 2024 Infinite Mile Awards MIT’s School of Engineering recognizes extraordinary staff contributions to its mission. Categories: Awards S...

MIT also placed first in several individual engineering disciplines, including materials, chemical, computer, and mechanical engineering.

MIT graduate engineering ranked No. 1 by U.S. News for 2024-25 - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News MIT graduate engineering ranked No. 1 by U.S. News for 2024-25 MIT News | June 18, 2024 MIT graduate engineering ranked No. 1 by U.S. News for 2024-25 MIT is also top-ranked in several individual engineering disciplines, including materials, chemical, computer, and mechanical engineering.....

Professor Bilge Yildiz has been chosen as the 2024 recipient of the Faraday Medal from the Royal Society of Chemistry. The medal recognizes outstanding contributions and innovation in electrochemistry. Yildiz focuses on the fundamentals of electrochemistry in materials that conduct ions, advancing fuel cells, electrolyzers, batteries, and brain-inspired computing devices.

Bilge Yildiz awarded the Faraday Medal for electrochemistry - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News Bilge Yildiz awarded the Faraday Medal for electrochemistry Department of Materials Science and Engineering | June 18, 2024 Bilge Yildiz awarded the Faraday Medal for electrochemistry Yildiz honored for groundbreaking work in electrochemistry, advancing fuel cells, electrolyzers, and brain...

“The thing I was most nervous about wasn’t my colleagues; it was the students. I was nervous the graduate students wouldn’t want to work with me,” says DMSE Professor Lorna Gibson in “Scientific InQueery.” “But the thing has been that the students have been terrific. My colleagues have been great. And I have to say I think MIT has been very supportive of gay faculty and students.” https://buff.ly/3VwMKox

Exploring 1D magnetism in 2D antiferromagnets, new research by DMSE’s Eugene Park and Prof. Frances Ross highlights unique spin chain behaviors and their implications for magnonics and spintronics. Learn how these insights could transform how we design and use electronic devices. Learn more in the Advanced Materials paper: https://buff.ly/3z2DNLY

Students from the MIT Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology class 3.989 (Materials in Ancient Societies) gave final presentations on their spring semester lab work in May. The class analyzed metal artifacts and production debris to learn how metals were processed in the past.

“We saw a lot of cool things exploring the nano-micro world of biology, such as structural color from the wing of a butterfly and nacre layering on a seashell,” said EMERGE organizer Carl Thrasher, a DMSE PhD student. https://buff.ly/4cgNgh8

Boston Metal, founded by MIT Professor Emeritus Donald Sadoway, Professor Antoine Allanore, and James Yurko PhD ’01, is already using molten oxide electrolysis to recover high-value metals from mining waste at its Brazilian subsidiary, Boston Metal do Brasil.

Making steel with electricity - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News Making steel with electricity Zach Winn | MIT News | May 22, 2024 Making steel with electricity DMSE spinout Boston Metal is commercializing a new method for making steel and other metals, to help clean up the emissions-intensive industry. Categories: Faculty, Manufacturing, Energy and the...

QS ranks MIT the No. 1 university in the world for the 13th year in a row. The institute also places first in 11 subjects, including materials science and other School of Engineering disciplines.

QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2024-25 - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering MIT has again been named the world’s top university by the QS World University Rankings, which were announced today. This is the 13th year in a row MIT has received this distinction. The full 2025 edition of the rankings — published by Quacquarelli Symonds, an organization specializing in educat...

DMSE welcomes new faculty Suraj Cheema and T.J. Wallin. Cheema’s research explores atomic-scale engineering of electronic materials. Wallin’s interests are in advanced manufacturing of functional soft matter.

School of Engineering welcomes new faculty - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News School of Engineering welcomes new faculty Zach Goodale | School of Engineering | May 23, 2024 School of Engineering welcomes new faculty Fifteen new faculty members join six of the school’s academic departments, including DMSE's Suraj Cheema and T.J. Wallin. Categories: Faculty Share on...

“The tent was flooding quickly, and there was lightning on the radar, so we didn’t want to risk it and ruin such an important celebration,” said Erin Caples, director of administration and finance at DMSE.

Quick action keeps DMSE commencement celebration on dry ground - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News Quick action keeps DMSE commencement celebration on dry ground Jason Sparapani | June 6, 2024 Quick action keeps DMSE commencement celebration on dry ground Department staff relocated the event in an hour after rain caused minor flooding, ensuring a smooth celebration of students’ achiev...

Associate Professor Rafael Jaramillo reveals an alternative title to his Tenure Talk—the Errors Tour. “What we're going to do is walk through all of the mistakes—small, large, catastrophic, and just funny—that brought me to this place today.”

DMSE Tenure Talk with Rafael Jaramillo Professor Rafael Jaramillo discusses the focus of his research group, chalcogenide compound semiconductors, his path to tenure and the challenges he encounte...

“Design is in my everyday way of thinking,” says DMSE instructor and artist in residence Rhea Vedro, “and having folks come here is really exciting because they’re off the computer and having these very hands-on experiences where there’s nothing between them and the material.”

DesignPlus: Creating Hands-On Experiences for Students in MIT's Forge DesignPlus is a learning community open to MIT first-year undergraduates. It’s a space for hands-on experimentation and exploration, acquiring technical skil...

Graduating seniors and advanced-degree graduates celebrated commencement at a DMSE reception and awards ceremony Thursday. Caroline Ross, interim department head, highlighted the advantage of their multidisciplinary field. “We cover a huge range of topics,” Ross said. “Everything from semiconductors to biological materials and systems, and everyone is well-equipped to succeed in a wide range of possible careers. There’s really nothing you can’t do.”

Professor W. Craig Carter created the designs and algorithms for each version of One.MIT. He started a search last summer for inspiration for the 2024 design. “The image needed to be iconic of MIT,” says Carter, “and also work within the constraints of a large-scale mosaic.” https://buff.ly/3Vlc6Xx

Stay up to date with DMSE's Frontiers newsletter. In the upcoming spring issue: startups making clean steel and storing renewable energy; a counterintuitive finding about metals; and high school microscopy class in the Breakerspace. Sign up today: https://buff.ly/49LYOb7

The new finding, authors Ian Dowding and Prof. Chris Schuh write, “is counterintuitive and at odds with decades of studies in less extreme conditions.”

Under extreme impacts, metals get stronger when heated - MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Home News Under extreme impacts, metals get stronger when heated David L. Chandler | MIT News | May 22, 2024 Under extreme impacts, metals get stronger when heated The unexpected finding could be important for designing spacecraft shielding or in high-speed machining applications. Share on MIT scien...

Hydrogen can cause a lot of problems, says Prof. Cem Tasan, getting into metal and making it brittle. But hydrogen could also hold the key to a low-carbon energy future. “It's a problem because it's an embrittler, a very effective embrittler,” says Tasan in the spring 2024 Wulff Lecture. “But at the same time, it can be a solution. So it's an engineering problem that we have to deal with.”

Learn more about the problem and the solutions in this video.

Spring 2024 Wulff Lecture: "Oh come on hydrogen, be nice" DMSE Associate Professor Cem Tasan discusses the problems hydrogen creates for materials scientists and how in-situ experiments can help solve them.

To enable next-generation energy sources, it is critical to have both scientific knowledge and a firm understanding of the numbers involved. Being a double major, says senior Shu Yang Zhang, “gives me this other viewpoint into the up-and-coming materials in the sustainability and energy space.”

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