University of Washington Materials Science & Engineering

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University of Washington Materials Science & Engineering

Materials science and engineering is an interdisciplinary field. We explore the scientific fundament

Everything we use in our daily lives is made of material or a combination of materials, including metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors and composites. Materials science and engineering involves all the processes that turn natural resources into useful products that impact all facets of our economy... energy... transportation... communication... environment. Materials science and engineering

deals with all aspects of materials:
*Extraction of materials from natural and recycled resources
*Selection of appropriate materials for a given application
*Manufacturing useful objects from raw materials
*Assurance of quality of manufactured products
*Study of the behavior of materials under various conditions
*Research and development of new materials and new ways to process them into useful objects
*Analysis of the performance of materials in service and investigate causes of failure

In short, materials science and engineering involves all the processes that turn natural resources into useful products that impact all facets of our economy, such as aerospace, electronics, energy, transportation, communication, construction, recreation, entertainment and the environment.

03/12/2026

Thank you for joining us at MSE’s 2026 Research & Industry Showcase! We are so proud of our students, alumni, faculty, and industry connections and all the work they’ve done. Another wonderful year of the MSE community coming together to share our research and connect!

02/02/2026

Looking beyond incremental innovations in energy storage technology, Jie Xiao wants to catalyze a robust domestic battery industry — from mining to manufacturing.

Read more: https://www.engr.washington.edu/news/article/2026-01-26/building-batteries-better

12/19/2025

What if we could prevent manufacturing errors before they happened? MSE graduate students Huilong (Max) Fu and Kendall Johnson in the Zobeiry lab have found a new way to use AI tools to figure out what conditions cause defects in composite material parts, and how to keep them from forming in the future.

Their paper describing this new approach was awarded the American Society for Composites (ASC) 2024 Best Paper Award for Breakthrough in Aerospace Composite Manufacturing. Congratulations, Max and Kendall!

Read the full story: https://mse.washington.edu/news/article/2025-12-01/improving-aerospace-manufacturing-efficiency-ai

12/10/2025

You're invited! Registration is now open for the 2026 MSE Research & Industry Showcase. Enjoy short talks from our alumni, research presentations from our students, a reception, as well as plenty of time to connect with MSE'ers past and present.

📅 March 9, 2026
🕔 5:00 - 7:30 p.m.
📍 Husky Union Building Lyceum (HUB 160), UW Seattle Campus

Event details and RSVP: https://mse.washington.edu/news/mse-research-industry-showcase

We hope to see you there!

12/03/2025

Congratulations to the seven MSE faculty named 2025 Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers! The annual list identifies researchers who demonstrated significant influence in their field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade.

Please join us in celebrating Guozhong Cao, Ting Cao, Jun Liu, Charles Marcus, Di Xiao, Xiaodong Xu and Jihui Yang! 👏👏

Read more: https://www.washington.edu/news/2025/11/25/clarivate-highly-cited-researchers-2025-list-includes-56-uw-faculty-and-researchers/

10/22/2025

We're hiring! UW MSE is searching for an academic counselor for our undergraduate program. This key role serves as the lead staff member for undergraduate advising within the department, supporting our 200 undergraduate students from recruitment through graduation.

If you’re passionate about student success, thrive in a dynamic academic environment, and want to help shape the engineers of the future, we encourage you to apply!

Internal to UW applicant link: https://bit.ly/4qBnV9E
External to UW applicant link: https://bit.ly/4owKv1h

Apply by October 30.

10/17/2025

Is an M.S. in MSE right for you?

You're invited to our upcoming info session about the Applied Master’s Program in MSE! Whether you're already considering the program or just curious to learn more, this session is a great chance to get your questions answered and hear directly from program leadership.

📅 Date: Tuesday, October 21
🕒 Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM PST
📍 Virtual via Zoom

Register to receive the Zoom link: bit.ly/4q5jsLY

09/24/2025

Happy back to school, MSE'ers! Don't miss our welcome back pizza party this Friday, September 26, in Mueller Courtyard from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. All MSE students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend. Hope to see you there!

08/18/2025

What happens when a UW professor breaks a tooth? The professor turns to research.

07/23/2025

The concrete industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. MSE's Eleftheria Roumeli and Microsoft collaborated to develop a new type of low-carbon cement by mixing in whole seaweed biomass, creating a more sustainable building material!

Read more: bit.ly/4m9cenA

06/24/2025

Hira Fotedar (MSE Ph.D. ’71) believes in paying it forward. A scholarship opened his path to higher education, leading him to the UW, NASA-supported research, and leadership positions in materials science and engineering around the globe.

Alongside his wife Patricia, Hira has spent his life championing education and service.

Now, through the Dr. Hira and Patricia Fotedar Endowed Fellowship, the couple is giving back by supporting UW MSE graduate students, empowering them to become world-class scientists – and hopefully philanthropists in their own right.

“Give back. Have a multiplying effect.” 👉 Read more at https://bit.ly/44BYB9p

06/20/2025

Is an M.S. in MSE right for you?

You're invited to a virtual info session on the Applied Master's Program at UW MSE! Join us to hear directly from current students and recent alumni about their experiences in the program. This interactive session will feature a panel discussion covering academic life, internships, career development and more, followed by a live Q&A, so bring your questions!

📅 Tuesday, June 24, 2025
🕒 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. (PT)
📍 Via Zoom (link will be sent after RSVP)

Who should attend?
- Prospective students
- Admitted-but-undecided students
- Incoming AMP students

RSVP to receive the Zoom link: bit.ly/4e5qE5c

P.S. There’s still time to submit your application! The deadline for Autumn 2025 has been extended to June 30.

Address

University Of Washington, 302 Roberts Hall, Box 352120
Seattle, WA
98195-2120

Website

https://mse.washington.edu/

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