Ten years ago, I would have never imagined the department would have become what it has today — it has far surpassed our vision.
In 2013, Texas A&M University established the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, featuring five full-time and three part-time faculty members with a dedication to students and research and a drive to further the field of materials science and engineering.
This November, the department is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Now home to 27 full-time and eight part-time faculty members, nationally renowned undergraduate and graduate programs and over 400 students, the department has experienced exponential growth, leading to cutting-edge research advances and providing tremendous opportunities for faculty and students.
Since its beginnings, the department has been led by Dr. Ibrahim Karaman.
“It has been a very fast-paced ten years, full of serendipitous events and opportunities and many success stories,” said Karaman. “Ten years ago, I would have never imagined the department would have become what it has today — it has far surpassed our vision. The secret ingredient of this success is a handful of passionate faculty and staff who have worked tirelessly to grow and build this program from the ground up.”
The department is currently housed in the Reed McDonald Building, with laboratories throughout the College of Science and College of Engineering campuses, such as the Materials Development and Characterization Center, Polymer Technology Consortia Laboratories, and the National Corrosion and Materials Reliability Lab. Its faculty and students have many research interests, from materials development and discovery to materials characterization and failure analysis.
Among the department’s achievements, it is ranked 13th in undergraduate programs and 12th in graduate programs among public materials science and engineering programs by U.S. News & World Report. It is also home to six National Academy of Engineering members, including Drs. Alan Needleman, Edwin L. Thomas, George M. Pharr, Linda Katehi, Julie M. Schoenung and Enrique J. Lavernia.
“I have been fortunate to attract outstanding doctoral students and postdocs since I have been at Texas A&M,” said Pharr. “In addition, there are many materials faculty with expertise in my area of research, which has led to many new research opportunities and great discussions. I had a great opportunity to join a growing department, and the funds provided by the Chancellor Research Initiative and the Governor’s University Research Initiative provided a unique opportunity for me to build a cutting-edge laboratory and begin new research efforts.”
While some faculty members joined the department during its growth, some have been members since its inception, watching the changes first-hand. Dr. Dimitris Lagoudas was one of the original three part-time faculty members of the department and has been with the university for 31 years.
“It has grown significantly both in size and quality, and it has become one of the most recognizable departments internationally,” said Lagoudas. “By promoting excellence in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research, building state-of-the-art research infrastructure and addressing global challenges in materials with the best possible faculty and students, the department will continue to grow.”
Another way the department has grown is by hiring new faculty who cultivate ideas and innovation within the department. One of these faculty is Dr. Kelvin Yu Xuan Xie.
“The two things that drew me to the department are people and culture,” said Xie. “The people are top researchers in various fields, and the culture is friendly and collegial. I consider our department as the bedrock that supports new faculty members to succeed and rich soil that helps new faculty members to thrive.”
Some of the most notable achievements in the last few years include:
- The establishment of one of the largest undergraduate programs in the country
- The start of three new undergraduate and two graduate certificate programs
- Securing ABET accreditation with flying colors on the first attempt
- Hiring more than 20 tenure track faculty in ten years
- The establishment of university-wide interdisciplinary Soft Matter User Facility
- Significant expansion of both Materials Characterization Facility and Microscopy and Imaging Center space and available instruments
- The launch of an active 30-member industry advisory board
- Receiving several large-scale center grants from the U.S. Army, NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy
In the next ten years, our goal is to focus on quality, creativity and leadership to make the department distinct from any other in the world, set an example for others and lead the way in materials science and engineering education and research.
While the department has achieved incredible success, its focus remains on continuing to excel by providing students with superior academic experiences and faculty with the best resources and research opportunities. These contributions are primarily led by faculty who desire to bring and build new programs and opportunities for their students.
“I was excited to join the department at the early stages of its development and contribute to shaping a unique research and educational program from scratch,” said Dr. Svetlana Sukhishvili, professor in the materials science and engineering department and director of the Soft Matter User Facility. “In addition to benefiting from the collegial culture in the department by developing new directions in my research group, I was happy to contribute to strengthening the soft matter research focus in the department and at the university by establishing and leading the university-wide Soft Matter User Facility. In years to come, I see the department growing stronger and rising in rank to eventually become one of the most exciting and sought-after places for students and faculty to join.”
Moving forward, the department would like to continue its upward trajectory. It will strive to accomplish even more in the next 10 years for the betterment of the materials science and engineering field and the advancement of Texas A&M and its students.
“In the first ten years, we concentrated on establishing many new programs and the growth of the faculty and student body,” said Karaman. “In the next ten years, our goal is to focus on quality, creativity and leadership to make the department distinct from any other in the world, set an example for others and lead the way in materials science and engineering education and research.”