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: John Mauro
Associate Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Enrique Gomez
Associate Head for Undergraduate Education: Amy Robinson
Associate Head for Graduate Education: Venkatraman Gopalan
Degrees offered: B.S., M.S., Ph.D., and minors
Website: https://matse.psu.edu
Lauren Zarzar, professor of chemistry and materials science and engineering, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Schmidt Science Polymath Award. This award supports mid-career researchers who are expanding into new research domains, experimenting with new methodologies, and inspiring scientific breakthroughs.
The theme of the 2026 Nelson W. Taylor Lecture in Materials is “Extending materials science into the impossible.” The lecture will be held from 8:15 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, in the HUB-Robeson Center’s Heritage Hall at Penn State University Park.
Tiny wrinkles could reveal new behaviors in graphene, an exceptionally strong, conductive and thin material used in batteries, computer chips and other electronics. According to a new study published in Advanced Materials, small bends in graphene’s two-dimensional (2D), or one-atom-thick, structure can change the material’s electrical properties.
Seven Penn State students were nominated for the 2027 Rhodes, Marshall and Churchill scholarships, among the most prestigious and competitive awards available to U.S. students.
Clive Randall, Evan Pugh University Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State, has been named an inaugural recipient of the Inamori-KYOCERA Award, an international honor recognizing individuals whose scholarship, invention, technological innovation and international collaboration have substantially advanced the ceramics industry.
Tarasankar DebRoy, professor of materials science and engineering in the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS), received the 2026 Joining and Welding Science Award from the Joining and Welding Research Institute of Osaka University. He will be honored with an award ceremony and invited lecture on Nov. 24 at Osaka University, Japan.
Remember the solar calculator from middle school math class that had a small solar cell at the top? The idea behind that technology is not a relic of the past, but the subject of continuous innovation. Today’s indoor solar cells, known as photovoltaics, use new semiconductor materials, such as metal halide perovskite, to convert ambient light into electricity to power small electronic devices without needing batteries or a power outlet. Now, a team led by materials science researchers at Penn State has improved perovskite’s ambient light-absorbing ability and its capacity to remain stable over time even at high light intensities.
Penn State and Kurt J. Lesker Company (KJLC) are launching a strategic partnership to develop new ways to create and shape the extremely thin layers of specialized materials that form critical parts of semiconductor, advanced packaging, quantum, photonic and other next-generation technologies.
Penn State showcased its leadership in critical minerals and materials research and workforce development through a recent three-day workshop that brought together nearly 150 representatives from academia, industry and government agencies.
Kat Hogan is a senior majoring in energy engineering, and she found her home as an undergraduate researcher in Penn State’s Center for Critical Minerals. She’s interested in sustainability — particularly in the energy sector — and said critical minerals sourcing is essential to a sustainable future for the energy industry.