SPIR - Stony Brook University

Materials Science and Engineering
Overview
Fiscal year 2003 was another year of record setting achievement in research by the faculty
in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Research expenditures continued
to increase dramatically as the department not only strengthened its efforts in its well
established areas such as thermal spray, polymer interfaces, surface analysis and corrosion
science, and crystal growth and synchrotron topography characterization, but also expanded
into new areas such as nanoscale sensor development. Of particular note was the continued
success of the two NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers
(MRSEC), one in Thermal Spray Science and the other in Polymers at Engineered
Interfaces, as well as the DARPA-funded Mesoscopic Intergrated Conformal Electronics
(MICE) program. Faculty in the department recently received two NSF Nanoscale
Integrated Research Team awards, one concerning the development of nanoscale metal
oxide electronic noses for use as molecular chemical and biological sensors, and the other
concerning molecular electronics at the nanoscale.
Education at All Levels
The educational mission in the department has many facets. It provides education at the
undergraduate level through an ABET accredited Engineering Science baccalaureate engineering
program.The educational process within the Engineering Science Program is
aimed towards providing an engineering education wherein students maximize their learning
while completing their degree requirements.The department provides students with
the basic technical skills, helps to develop the skills of learning, self-motivation, and intellectual
inquiry. Students learn to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global
and societal context. Students in this program are integrated into cutting edge research
programs.At the graduate level, the department offers Masters and PhD degrees in
Materials Science. Additionally, K-12 teachers in local schools have been able to participate
with their students in the department’s research programs
Relationship with Industry
The department maintains a strong relationship with industry. Its two MRSEC’s have very
active industry involvement and several small incubator companies have grown out of the
Thermal Spray and MICE programs. Several faculty members play vital roles in the widebandgap
semiconductor crystal growth industry, particularly in providing defect characterization
expertise. In addition, faculty is actively involved in the College’s Strategic
Partnership for Industrial Resurgence (SPIR) program.
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