New Perspectives on Materials Education in the U.S.

Abstract

Graduate and postgraduate education in science and engineering in the U.S. has long been recognized as outstanding. In materials science and engineering, graduate and postgraduate education is not only outstanding, but as a result of its intrinsic multidisciplinary nature, it is having a positive pervasive impact upon the culture within major research universities in the U.S. In spite of this general excellence, new initiatives are being taken to broadly enhance education and training in materials science and engineering, as well as in manufacturing and other areas related to industrial competitiveness. Here we discuss the issues of training modes, undergraduate materials education and research, vocational and “shop floor” level training, as well as some fundamental infrastructure issues that will impact our ability to broadly enhance materials science education in the U.S.