Department of Materials Science and Engineering

The advent of the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) in 2011 transformed the “materials by design” research enterprise both in the US and abroad. With the principal goal of accelerating the discovery and development of advanced materials, one of the key features of the initiative is to better integrate theory, computation, and experiment to support the directed design and synthesis of new materials. Cornell is already a leader in materials prediction, with multiple MGI-related centers on campus (e.g., PARADIM, SARA), but until a material is actually synthesized, it has no benefit to society. This strategic initiative aims to connect predictive identification with predictive synthesis and processing for the intentional design of advanced materials by using the latest developments in theory, computational methods, synthesis approaches, and advanced characterization techniques for the atomic and molecular engineering of materials. The opportunity for Cornell to take materials all the way to the finish line is enormous—materials solutions are the enabler of breakthrough technologies—and the birthplace of these new materials would be at Cornell. The initiative pulls together faculty from across campus, including MSE, AEP, ECE, CS, ORIE, CBE, Physics, and Chemistry, as well as potential emerging synergies with Cornell Tech. With strategic hires in synthesis science and AI/ML approaches to materials discovery, a new beamline at CHESS to support synthesis science, and curricular changes to make computational materials science a required element for all MSE majors, Cornell can dominate in this burgeoning space!

There is a widening gap between scientific discovery and technological application of new materials in fields ranging from human health and medicine to infrastructure to energy production and storage. Our fundamental materials science discoveries must be translated into technologies and useful products to provide value to society and humanity. We intend to dramatically enhance MSE’s impact through an expanded emphasis on translational science and engineering in both our research and our educational programs.

In translational research, MSE already exhibits national leadership in the translation of new biomaterials from the research laboratory into FDA-approved materials for human use, with substantial contributions in the area of nanoparticles for oncology as well as diagnostics. Building upon Cornell’s reputation as the birthplace of Nanobiotechnology, we want to establish a Translational Nanobiotechnology Institute to provide a common home for researchers from across campus, including from, MSE, BME, CBE, MAE, BEE, Chemistry, the Vet School, Weill-Cornell, and Cornell Tech, engaged in translational efforts of 20 biomaterials. This Institute will include improvement of local research infrastructure for pre-clinical and clinical studies, as well as collaborations with the Johnson School of Management to create “highways to market” to monetize the resulting biomaterials-associated IP portfolios. Implementation of this initiative, including a targeted faculty-cluster hire at the biology-materials interface and new experiential learning experiences in biomaterials science, will result in continued Cornell leadership in the development of new materials that improve the quality of life by transforming medicine and health care.

Tightly coupled with these research efforts, we will build education and industrial engagement components related to translational science and engineering, including development of critically needed facilities for research, teaching and learning, exploration, and outreach:

• A manufacturing research center that nucleates and supports faculty research at the intersection of materials and manufacturing. This center will be developed in collaboration with other departments as well as industry partners.
• We will create a series of “Materials Makers’ Labs,” which are cross-disciplinary experiential learning lab facilities: Each one provides a synthesis/processing toolbox within a carefully chosen scope of materials or applications. They will be used for education, research, technology development, art, and public outreach.

This engagement with the ultimate applications of materials discoveries will provide clear benefits to Cornell faculty, students, alumni, local community members, industry, and the general public.

As became painfully clear in 2020, our societal obligations as engineers go far beyond the laboratory. In this initiative, we recognize that both in our research and our education, we have a responsibility to society to tackle the global grand challenge of sustainability and to educate a diverse and inclusive cohort of leaders of tomorrow.

Designing for Circularity. The increasing severity of climate change and geopolitical instability will fundamentally change 21st-century materials science and engineering. Materials selection will no longer solely focus on functionality and price; the origin, lifecycle, and disposal considerations are emerging as additional factors. To ready the MSE department and the College for the arrival of this seismic change, we must unite our efforts across campus to develop a collective research-education program in materials sustainability. Building on existing strengths in MSE, CBE, MAE, Textiles and Apparel, and Chemistry, as well as the Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Cornell already has competitive advantages in several energy and materials sustainability areas. This initiative, including a new hire in the strategic area of circularity design, the establishment of an integrated research-teaching space to provide hands-on training in materials manufacturing and sustainability, and the development of an ENGRI class on materials sustainability, aims to unite existing efforts on campus related to materials sustainability and expand the scope into an emerging priority area for MSE.

Fostering a Just, Equitable, Inclusive, and Diverse MSE Community. MSE aims to nurture and grow an inclusive and diverse community of students, staff, and faculty at Cornell that strives for equitable demographic representation and offers fair opportunities to all. The need to build a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive community (JEDI) will be addressed from the ground up: creating a healthier climate in order to actively and sustainably embrace old and new members of all backgrounds (“any person”) in our departmental community. We aspire to an increased sense of belonging for all students, faculty, and staff, and will consider population-representative faculty and undergraduate and graduate student bodies—in all dimensions of diversity—a success. We will achieve this ambitious goal via a series of coordinated activities, including formation of a JEDI Working Group and Faculty Liaison, establishment of a funded Bridge-to-PhD MS program for the College of Engineering (MSE and CBE currently have a 21 proposal to the ACS pending for a model program), and creation of a Diversity Preview weekend for PhD students across Engineering.