Boise State Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering

Call Directions Website

Boise State Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering Welcome to the official page for Boise State University's Micron School of Materials Science

The Micron School of Material Science and Engineering invites you to join us on October 23rd at 3:00 pm in MCMR 105 for ...
10/16/2026

The Micron School of Material Science and Engineering invites you to join us on October 23rd at 3:00 pm in MCMR 105 for Joy Morin’s dissertation defense!

Joy’s research focuses on developing a comprehensive additive manufacturing process for magnetostrictive Terfenol-D while minimizing material oxidization and understanding how printed Terfenol-D behaves under neutron radiation. Magnetostrictive terbium–iron–dysprosium alloys, commonly known as Terfenol-D, enable the generation and detection of various acoustic waveforms for structural health monitoring because of their ability to deform in response to magnetic fields and exhibit changes in magnetization under mechanical stress. However, Terfenol-D is susceptible to oxidation during manufacturing, creating challenges for its integration into acoustic transducers. Joy’s work demonstrates a MEX-based route for fabricating magnetostrictive thin films, expands the additive manufacturing material library, and provides insights into oxidation behavior and strategies for mitigating oxidation during Terfenol-D processing.

Event Details-
Dissertation Title: “Experimental Analysis of Oxidation Formation During Material Extrusion of Magnetostrictive Terbium-Iron-Dysprosium Films”
Date: Friday, October 23rd, 2026
Time: 3:00pm
Location: MCMR 105 and Zoom (check the dissertations link in our bio for the Zoom link)

Come support Joy as she presents her work!

The Micron School of Material Science and Engineering invites you to join us next week, October 20th at 4:00 pm in River...
10/14/2026

The Micron School of Material Science and Engineering invites you to join us next week, October 20th at 4:00 pm in Riverfront Hall 101, for Peter Micah’s thesis defense!

Peter’s research focuses on developing an integrated plasma-assisted PE-ALD reactor for low- temperature atomic layer annealing (ALA) of nitride thin films. Using aluminum nitride (AlNₓ) as a test material, he benchmarked equipment and processes to investigate ALA effects within individual PE-ALD cycles. Peter also integrates in-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and residual gas analysis (RGA) to monitor film evolution, precursor chemistry, surface reactions, and byproducts in real time. This approach enables deeper investigation of advanced plasma-assisted ALD processing needed to support improved thin films process control within back-end-of-line (BEOL) thermal budgets.

Event Details-
Dissertation Title: “Application of Plasma-Assisted Atomic Layer Annealing for Nitride Thin Films Deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition.”
Date: Tuesday, October 20th, 2026
Time: 4:00pm
Location: Riverfront Hall Room 101 and Zoom (check the dissertations link in our bio for the Zoom link)

Come support Peter as he presents his work!

The Micron School of Material Science and Engineering invites you to join us online on October 20th at 10:00 am MT for F...
10/14/2026

The Micron School of Material Science and Engineering invites you to join us online on October 20th at 10:00 am MT for Felix White’s dissertation defense!

Felix’s research explores additive manufacturing techniques for the processing, deposition, and integrating two-dimensional (2D) and nanostructured materials, including graphene, nanodiamond, laser-induced graphene (LIG), and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), into hybrid electronic devices. The first part of his work examines aerosol jet printed graphene-based inks for capacitive touch sensors and Joule heating applications. The second part investigates the aerosol jet printed nanodiamond thin films and their frequency-dependent dielectric behavior using commercially available inks derived from detonation nanodiamond. Together, Felix’s findings demonstrate the potential of additive manufacturing for scalable fabrication and functional integration of diverse nanomaterials for multifunctional electronic devices.

Event Details-
Dissertation Title: “Additive Manufacturing and Digital Fabrication of Functional Materials for Hybrid Electronic Devices.”
Date: Tuesday, October 20th, 2026
Time: 10:00am MT
Location: Zoom Only (check the dissertations link in our bio for the Zoom link)

Come support Felix as he presents his work!

Congratulations to Dr. Nicholas Wright for successfully defending his Ph.D. dissertation!His work, “Photophysical Charac...
10/02/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Nicholas Wright for successfully defending his Ph.D. dissertation!

His work, “Photophysical Characterization of Molecules and Molecular Aggregates for Applications in Quantum Computing,” investigated molecular materials based on conjugated organic molecules as an alternative platform for quantum computing hardware. His research explored the feasibility of this approach by characterizing their optical properties and dynamics with advanced ultrafast spectroscopy techniques.

We are so proud of you, Dr. Wright!

Join us tomorrow in celebrating Parent & Family Weekend at Boise State with a presentation on the science behind the ico...
10/01/2026

Join us tomorrow in celebrating Parent & Family Weekend at Boise State with a presentation on the science behind the iconic blue turf! This presentation will be given by MSMSE’s very own Professor Scott T. Phillips, whose research includes reinventing plastic recyclability, discovering non-polymer-based alternative materials to plastics, and developing methods and procedures for converting hard-to-recycle plastic waste into useful, new materials.

From the stands, the turf may appear to be textured, colored plastic, but it’s actually constructed from multiple layers of polymeric materials, each of which provides an important function that supports the longevity of the field and the safety of players. Professor Phillips will dissect each component of the turf, discuss how it’s made, and explain why each layer has the properties it does. Everyone is welcome to attend, including parents and students who are on campus for Homecoming Weekend!

Date: Friday, October 2, 2026
Time: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Location: MCMR 205 OR virtually on Zoom

Check the link in our bio to RSVP for the Zoom link!

The Micron School for Material Science invites you to join us October 1st at 12:00 pm in the SUB Lookout Room for Nichol...
09/29/2026

The Micron School for Material Science invites you to join us October 1st at 12:00 pm in the SUB Lookout Room for Nicholas Wright’s dissertation defense! Nick’s work investigates molecular materials based on conjugated organic molecules as an alternative platform for quantum computing hardware. Current quantum computing operations rely on millikelvin temperatures (which is orders of magnitudes colder than the vacuum of space), and this work explores the feasibility of using said molecular materials for this application by characterizing their optical properties and dynamics with advanced ultrafast spectroscopy techniques.

Event Details

Dissertation Title: “Photophysical Characterization of Molecules and Molecular Aggregates for Applications in Quantum Computing”

Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Time: 12:00pm
Location: SUB Lookout Room and Zoom (check the dissertations link in our bio for the Zoom link)

Come to support Nick as he presents his work

Here’s a friendly reminder to join us for our seminar tomorrow! This week, Dr. Jun Cui from Ames National Laboratory and...
09/24/2026

Here’s a friendly reminder to join us for our seminar tomorrow! This week, Dr. Jun Cui from Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University will give a talk on permanent magnets for electric vehicle motors. First, there will be a review of the fundamental performance requirements for traction-motor magnets, followed by a discussion of the coercivity and thermal stability of heavy-rare-earth-free nano-Nd-Fe-B magnets. The talk will then explore Nd-lean strategies and, finally, provide a survey of non-rare-earth permanent magnet systems.

Dr. Cui earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2002 and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Maryland in 2005. He subsequently conducted research at the GE Global Research Center (2005-2010) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (2010-2015) before joining Iowa State University and Ames National Laboratory in 2015. Dr. Cui’s research centers on ferroic materials, spanning ferromagnetic, ferroelectric, and ferroelastic systems, with the goal of advancing energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies. His work encompasses permanent magnets (both rare-earth and non-rare-earth based), soft magnetic materials, magnetocaloric materials, and shape-memory and elastocaloric materials.

Date: Friday, September 25, 2026
Time: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Location: MCMR 205 OR virtually on Zoom

Check the link in our bio to RSVP for the Zoom Link!

Join us tomorrow in welcoming Drummond Fudge, a Senior Engineering Researcher from Continuous Solutions, as he explains ...
09/17/2026

Join us tomorrow in welcoming Drummond Fudge, a Senior Engineering Researcher from Continuous Solutions, as he explains how collaboration between electrical engineers and materials scientists will be crucial for overcoming the challenges we are actively facing today.

Drummond Fudge has an M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University, where he is also a doctoral candidate. His research is primarily focused on the optimal design of passive electrical components for power system grounding and electrical noise mitigation. Mr. Fudge has co-authored several journal and conference articles in the subject area of ship-based power systems, holds one patent, and has filed a second provisional patent application. Based in Boise, Idaho, he also builds electric guitars, is an avid live music fan, and an A.C. Boise soccer supporter.

Date: Friday, September 18, 2026
Time: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Location: MCMR 205 OR virtually on Zoom

Check the link in our bio to RSVP for the Zoom Link!

Reminder to come to our weekly seminar tomorrow! This week it will be given by Boise State Alum and NASA researcher Alli...
09/10/2026

Reminder to come to our weekly seminar tomorrow! This week it will be given by Boise State Alum and NASA researcher Allison Christy.

Allison holds undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Political Science and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Boise State University, where her graduate work focused on synthesizing stimuli-responsive polymers and a new class of closed-loop recyclable plastics from Super Glue. After graduating, Allison worked as a chemistry and polymer expert for a central research group serving the portfolio companies of Crown Chicago Industries. Allison currently works at NASA Glenn Research as a Research Chemical Engineer on polymer matrix composites. Some of her research focuses include qualifying materials for flight hardware, assessing thermoplastic composite crystallinity, developing bio-based materials for extreme environments, and creating composites for in-space manufacturing.

Date: Friday, September 9, 2026
Time: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Location: MCMR 205 OR virtually on Zoom

Check the link in our bio to RSVP for the Zoom Link!

Boise State University has been charged with spearheading Idaho's launch into developing resilient microelectronics that...
09/03/2026

Boise State University has been charged with spearheading Idaho's launch into developing resilient microelectronics that are usable in extreme environments. As part of this initiative, the 'XTREME' project was formed under a new 8 million dollar grant funded by the National Science Foundation to investigate how microelectronic materials behave under extremely high temperature, radiation, and stress.

Recently, MSMSE Faculty Dave Estrada, a principal investigator for XTREME spoke on Boise State news regarding the project, its goals, and the research involved.

Take a look in our bio for a link to the full article.

Address

1910 University Drive
Boise, ID
83725

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+12084265600

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Boise State Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category