Students

Where Art Meets Alloy

At UC Davis, a new bladesmithing club is forging more than knives. Led by materials science and engineering major Aaron Diamond, the team is (literally) sharpening hands-on skills and crafting connections.

The Magicians Behind the MASC

Meet the Materials Science Advantage Chapter, the UC Davis engineering club responsible for Picnic Day’s famous Materials Magic Show — and for bringing attention to the amazing things materials science makes possible.

Navigating New Roads

Arden Stratton, an undergraduate student at UC Davis, shifted gears from chemistry to materials science and engineering after discovering a passion for materials research. Now, she's steering toward success in conducting alloy research and driving a Unitrans bus.

Outstanding Senior Spotlight: Jared Ura

Thanks to a foundation of community formed at UC Davis, graduating materials science and engineering student Jared Ura is following in the footsteps of his engineer grandfather, aiming to dig deep and understand topics in their entirety.

International Women’s Day Spotlight on UC Davis Women in Materials Science and Engineering

In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, the University of California, Davis, College of Engineering recognizes women in engineering, their journey to and in the field, and how they promote a diverse, equitable and inclusive world.

Meet some remarkable women in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and learn how they inspire inclusion in engineering.

How to Persevere

Materials science and engineering Ph.D. candidate Cassondra Brayfield is on track to finish her degree in August, but she is quick to acknowledge that the road to success has been bumpy.

Using Machine Learning to Find Reliable and Low-Cost Solar Cells

Researchers at the University of California, Davis College of Engineering are using machine learning to identify new materials for high-efficiency solar cells. Using high-throughput experiments and machine learning-based algorithms, they have found it is possible to forecast the materials’ dynamic behavior with very high accuracy, without the need to perform as many experiments.

Innovating for our future

Peifen Lyu ’19, Ph.D. ’25 has created a magnesium-based nanoscale optical device that dissolves in water and changes colors in displays. It creates a color change across several applications, such as a coating for pills or as sensors in environmental science for testing different chemical compositions.

Student Spotlight: Ph.D. Candidate Isabella Costa

Meet Isabella Loureiro Muller Costa. Costa is a third year Ph.D. candidate in materials science and engineering at the University of California, Davis. Isabella is in the Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation, or CGIF, President's Council of Student Advisors and brought CGIF Mini Kits to Brazil last year to expose students to materials science.

Ph.D. Student Dayne Sasaki Receives DOE Fellowship to Study Artificial Spin Ice Materials

With support from the Department of Energy Office of Science’s Graduate Student Research program, Materials Science and Engineering Ph.D. student Dayne Sasaki will be using the Advanced Light Source (ALS) at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab to conduct groundbreaking research that combines the fields of artificial spin ices and complex oxides.

Ph.D. Student Isabella Costa Does Outreach in Brazil

Children in Maripá de Minas don’t think of pursuing a higher education, likely because they don’t know what opportunities await them in Brazil or beyond. Isabella Loureiro Muller Costa, a third year Ph.D. candidate at UC Davis and Brazil native, plans to show these students what their future could entail with her outreach efforts.

Student Spotlight: Sevag Momjian

The natural curiosity about the world Sevag Momjian '22 has always had led him to materials science and engineering, and he's excited to help the field realize its potential to solve some of the greatest challenges of the 21st Century.

MSE Celebrates the Class of 2022

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) celebrated its graduating seniors from the class of 2022 during the Senior Send-off held on Sunday, June 12, 2022. The graduates and their families were invited to Kemper Hall after the main graduation ceremony held at UC Davis Health Stadium to recognize and celebrate their accomplishments.

Student Spotlight: Chad Serrao

After completing a bachelor's degree in philosophy, Chad Serrao '22 decided to go back to school to pursue engineering and became hooked on materials science and engineering and looks forward to playing a role in using the field to build a sustainable future.

Student Spotlight: Pooja Rao

Pooja Rao '22 thought she would get her B.S. and immediately leave academia, but she developed a love for research as part of Assistant Professor Roopali Kukreja's group and decided to continue her studies as a master's student.