The Cornell Department of Materials Science and Engineering was officially formed in 1964. In the early years, the Department’s research programs were driven by the study of metals for national space, energy, and defense programs. By the 1970s, the research focus expanded to include polymers, ceramics, and semiconductors – research areas that have long served as the backbone of Materials Science. It was during that decade that the Department began garnering broad national and international exposure in the scientific community. Several faculty members became members of the National Academy of Engineering and the department chair at that time was named a member of the National Academy of Science.
Building on this early recognition, Cornell MS&E has continued to grow and diversify over the intervening 30 years. The Department is consistently recognized as a world-class research institution. We remain heavily engaged in core Materials Science disciplines but have also taken a leadership role in ushering along a dramatic transformation in the field. Economic competitiveness and sustainability – key issues in the global marketplace – arguably require a greater emphasis on advanced materials than ever before. The traditional boundaries between the study of core Materials Science research areas are eroding as Nanotechnology, Information Technology, Life Sciences, Energy Technology and other emerging disciplines require more of an integrated, or systems, approach. This new landscape offers tremendous opportunities and challenges and Cornell MS&E is extremely well positioned to remain at the forefront of this materials revolution.