Department of Materials Science and Engineering

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State is an international leader in materials education and research. As a top-ranked program, the department thrives on a rich collaboration between faculty, staff, students, and researchers to promote a well-rounded academic experience and innovative research opportunities. Our department offers ABET accredited degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. View the information below to learn more.

Department head: Susan Sinnott
Associate Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Enrique Gomez
Associate Head for Undergraduate Education: Amy Robinson
Associate Head for Graduate Education: John Mauro
Degrees offered: B.S., M.S., Ph.D., and minors
Website: https://matse.psu.edu

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Penn State is the largest Materials Research Institution in the United States. Its faculty and research centers are world renowned for contributing breakthrough research in their respective fields. Anchored by the renovation of its state-of-the-art Steidle Building, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering includes laboratories devoted to computational research, material processing, and characterization, in addition to outstanding spaces for meetings, group work and information interactions.

Programs Offered

Undergraduate Programs

B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering

Graduate Programs

Minors

Polymer Science (Undergraduate)
Electronic and Photonic Materials (Undergraduate)
Computational Materials (Graduate)

Material Sciences and Engineering News

John Mauro, a glass expert and professor at Penn State, stands with his undergraduate adviser Arun Varshneya

Mentorship that began in college continues for glass scientist
03/14/2019

Sometimes it’s the most casual of occurrences that have the most impact on the trajectory of our lives.

Maureen L. Mulvihill, president and CEO of Actuated Medical, Inc. (AMI), will deliver the Tressler Lecture

Penn State alumna Mulvihill to present R.E. Tressler Lecture
03/13/2019

The 2019 Richard E. Tressler Lecture in Materials will be held at 3:05 p.m. Thursday, March 21, in 26 Hosler Building at University Park. Maureen L. Mulvihill, president and CEO of Actuated Medical Inc. (AMI), will deliver the lecture and receive the 2019 R.E. Tressler Award.

Ana De La Fuente Duran is on the path toward an advanced degree in science

Millennium Scholars Program, philanthropy support student success in STEM
03/12/2019

Ana De La Fuente Duran has long hoped to follow her love for science to graduate school. With the support of the Penn State Millennium Scholars Program, the Penn State junior is on her way toward earning her advanced degree.

Trolier-McKinstry elected member of National Academy of Engineering
02/26/2019

Susan Trolier-McKinstry, the Steward S. Flaschen Professor of Ceramic Science and Engineering, Penn State, has been named a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

Tiny fibers create unseen plastic pollution
02/16/2019

While the polyester leisure suit was a 1970s mistake, polyester and other synthetic fibers like nylon are still around and are a major contributor to the microplastics load in the environment, according to a Penn State materials scientist, who suggests switching to biosynthetic fibers to solve this problem.

Seven will receive Distinguished Alumni Awards in 2019
01/18/2019

Seven Penn State alumni selected by the Penn State Board of Trustees will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, which is the University's highest honor presented to its alumni.

Graduate Writing Center celebrates 20th anniversary
01/16/2019

Penn State’s Graduate Writing Center (GWC) is celebrating 20 years of service to graduate students this month. Founded in January 1999, it was one of the first writing centers dedicated to graduate-level communication.

This nanostructured polymer material created in Robert Hickey's lab shows photonic band gap properties in which blue light is pr

Air Force funds polymer materials research for light-speed computing
01/14/2019

Robert Hickey, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, will use a $450,000 grant from the United States Air Force to research nanostructured polymer materials for applications in integrated optical circuits, which could allow computers to process information at light-speed.

droplets containing a hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon phase are dispersed in water

$1 million Army grant aimed at adaptive fluid materials
01/09/2019

Lauren Zarzar, assistant professor of chemistry at Penn State, has been awarded a five-year, $1 million grant from the U.S. Army to conduct research related to reconfigurable fluids.

A computational model of porous ZIF glass.

Predicting the properties of a new class of glasses
12/20/2018

ZIF glasses, a new family of glass, could combine the transparency of silicate glass with the nonbrittle quality of metallic glass, according to researchers at Penn State and Cambridge University in the U.K.