Why is Materials Science important?
Materials represent the building blocks of civilization - the various ages of history have been driven by the development of better materials
The world of materials touches all aspects of modern life from the computer on which you are working through the building in which you are sitting.
Future technical revolutions rely on the development of new materials
What does a Materials Scientist do?
Invents new materials - metals, plastics, ceramics - with improved properties and performance for new applications.
Invents new manufacturing processes to make materials with improved properties faster and more reliably.
Develops new strategies to prevent materials failure.
Who employs Materials Scientists?
Companies that use materials in their products - they need to decide which materials to use to meet the requirements of the product cost-effectively.
Employed in industries concerned with microelectronics, aerospace, petroleum, energy production, medical device design, infrastructure design and remediation, sports equipment, etc.
Companies that make materials - they need to constantly develop new materials for the new products and increasing demands of modern society.
What does Materials Science encompass?
Experimental measurements of physical and chemical properties from the atomic scale to millimeter dimensions.
Computational analyses involving quantum mechanics to understand and exploit the connections amongst a material's composition, structure, processing, properties and performance.
Contact Assistant Professor Sean R. Agnew for more information.
