What is Materials Science?
Have you ever wondered...
How are smartphones able to fit so much processing power into a small device?
How can we make solar cells that harvest more energy and help us achieve energy independence?
How can we make biodegradable products that will help us reduce waste in landfills, beaches and oceans?
If so, you are thinking like a Materials Scientist or Materials Engineer!
Join the daring and creative scientists, researchers and engineers who are developing the materials of tomorrow: stronger, lighter, cleaner, and smarter.
Indisciplinary
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field that combines chemistry, physics and engineering principles to explore and apply properties of matter to create effective and efficient materials.
Common Materials
Think about your smart phone, there are a number of advanced materials that were developed by materials scientists!
Screen - glass (Gorilla Glass)
Housing - metals & polymers (plastics)
Electronics and sensors - semiconductors, metals and ceramics
Materials scientists also need to create materials that are light and strong enough to get to space and durable enough to withstand extreme heat and cold conditions in space, so they develop composites (mixtures of two or more bonded materials), ceramics and polymers (made up of long molecules or networks) just to name a few.
Industries
Because of its interdisciplinary nature and broad possibilities for application, materials science is a diverse field and spans multiple industries! Industries include aerospace, energy, defense, construction, electronics, biotechnology and nanotechnology.
Take our Lunchbox Quiz!
Match the material to the lunchbox: Wood, Plant fibers, Polymers, Ceramics
(answers at bottom of page)
A. Plate Lunch
B. Saimin Bowl
C. Bento Box
D. Eco-friendly Takeout
Career Info
Median Salary & Career Outlook (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
In Hawaii, materials science is a relatively new field. Because Hawaii does not have many manufacturing companies, the jobs available are mostly in research and development.
Sample employers include:
Department of Defense/Pearl Harbor
University of Hawaii
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Oceanit
Sample employers, nationwide:
Abbott
Apple
Coca-Cola
Corning
Facebook
IBM
Microsoft
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Procter and Gamble
Raytheon
SC Johnson
SpaceX
Institutions of Higher Education
Materials science research and development can also result in the development of patents and present opportunities for entrepreneurship.
Research & Development at UH
Advanced materials research and development is critical to meeting our State’s economic development and clean energy initiatives. The University of Hawaiʻi has an impressive and wide range of materials science instruments, with some of the most advanced equipment in the country!
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of materials science, researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa have been working collaboratively across departments to develop materials research initiatives and programs. Meet this research ʻohana.
Most recently, faculty from both UH and University of Washington (UW) have partnered to develop MRE-C, Materials Science Research & Education Consortium, to recruit more Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and women into the materials science field! This partnership will provide students hands-on experience in one of four labs, mentored by UH and UW researchers.
Student Research Opportunity!
We are currently recruiting Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science and Engineering undergraduates for a paid research opportunity!
Quiz answers: A. Polymers, B. Ceramics, C. Wood, D. Plant fibers
Photo credit: Photo by Zetong Li on Unsplash; Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash; Photo by Shelly Bell on Flickr, Photo by Jasperdo on Flickr