Faculty

Professor Sabyasachi Sen has been named the new Blacutt-Underwood Distinguished Professor in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE). The five-year endowed professorship supports a faculty member in the MSE department whose research is at the forefront of materials science and engineering and related interdisciplinary areas.

Professor Yayoi Takamura is the new chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering Department, effective July 1. A long-time leader in the department, Takamura joined UC Davis in 2006 and had been vice chair of the MSE department since 2017. She also served on the Dean’s faculty advisory committee from 2016-17 and was chair of the College of Engineering graduate study committee from 2018-20. She plans to bring her experience with her to her new role.

The materials science and engineering (MSE) department is leveraging its industry connections and forging new partnerships to give students the best experience while teaching spring 2020 remotely. Professor Klaus van Benthem and Assistant Professor of Teaching Susan Gentry have worked with the software company COMSOL and the manufacturer KLA Corporation to keep students learning in this challenging environment.

Materials science and engineering (MSE) professor Sabyasachi Sen received the 2020 Otto Schott Research Award, recognizing his research excellence in the fields of glasses and glass ceramics. Sen will be honored at a special a ceremony at the annual American Ceramic Society’s Glass and Optical Materials Division meeting from May 17-21 in New Orleans.

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering is leading a new nuclear science training program for junior faculty members at UC Davis. The Advancing Scientific Careers to Enhance Nuclear Technologies (ASCENT) is a three-year $450,000 program funded by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The goal of this program is to encourage junior faculty in their first four years to expand their research in nuclear science.

From quantum computers to sustainable energy, the world needs to access new materials and material properties that will power the world’s next generation of technology. New assistant professor Seung Sae Hong pushes materials to their limits to find out what they’re truly capable of and unlock these new properties using the nanoscale and two dimensions.

Materials science and engineering distinguished professor Subhash Mahajan was profiled as a distinguished educator in this year’s edition of Marquis’ Millennium magazine. The magazine is a registry published twice a year by Marquis Who’s Who that honors the world’s most accomplished professionals and leaders in their respective fields with short biographical features. Read the feature online.