Materials Science & Engineering at Illinois Grainger Engineering

10/28/2026

Congratulations to Associate Professor Jessica Krogstad and her co-authors on earning an Editors’ Suggestion listing from Physical Review Materials! Their paper shows that scattering features often confused with chemical short-range order in FCC alloys actually come from low-frequency lattice vibrations, and it proposes measurement strategies to separate the two, so researchers can more reliably study the ordering that may shape alloy properties.

Associate Professor Jessica Krogstad and co-authors had their paper named an Editors’ Suggestion by Physical Review Materials. The study ties the characteristic thermal diffuse-scattering features in FCC metals to specific low-frequency lattice vibrations, then uses that understanding to propose ...

10/26/2026

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering is proud to recognize alumna Jennifer Lewis, who has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine!

Lewis' research in 3D bioprinting of soft and living materials has been impactful for the healthcare industry. She created advanced techniques for development of vascularized organoids and human tissues, which are used in drug discovery, disease modeling and therapeutic repair.

Jennifer Lewis, a 1986 Illinois ceramics engineering graduate, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine as a result of her impactful healthcare research, which has been focused on 3D bioprinting of soft and living materials. 

10/22/2026

BREAKING NEWS: Please congratulate Professor Qian Chen, who has been named the next director of the Illinois Materials Research Laboratory, effective Nov. 1, 2026.

"What makes MRL truly special is not only its world-class scientific capabilities, but also the exceptional people and collaborative spirit that drive discoveries and innovation," Chen said.

The Grainger College of Engineering announced Thursday that Qian Chen, professor and Racheff Faculty Scholar, will be the next director of the Materials Research Laboratory, effective November 1.

10/20/2026

The future of computing is quantum. When The Grainger College of Engineering launched a new undergraduate minor in Quantum Information Science this fall, it ensured the next generation will be ready to face it.

If students pair their materials degree with this program, they can be part of a field projected to be worth $2 trillion in the next decade.

The Grainger College of Engineering students can now pursue a Quantum Information Science minor, starting fall 2026.

10/15/2026

MAJOR AWARD NEWS: Assistant Professor Chris Anderson has been named a 2026 Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

The fellowship includes five years of unrestricted funding and will support Anderson's research, which is focused on quantum computing advancements.

MORE INFORMATION: https://bit.ly/4jYs3zq

10/14/2026

Congratulations to Nancy Sottos and Jeffrey Moore, who earned the inaugural Discovery to Impact Award from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign during Founders Week proceedings.

The honor recognizes the team's exceptional commitment to translating research discoveries into real-world impact. Their frontal polymerization efforts could lead to significant impact in manufacturing.

10/12/2026

Argonne National Laboratory and Illinois researchers, led in part by Founder Professor Axel Hoffmann, have shown for the first time that spin waves can be coupled to superconducting circuits on a chip, creating a hybrid system with one-way signal propagation.

One-way control helps keep unwanted noise out of fragile quantum components, a step toward bringing magnetic spins into compact quantum technologies. This research was published in Physical Review Letters.

Founder Professor Axel Hoffmann and colleagues at Argonne National Laboratory have demonstrated, for the first time, that spin waves in a thin film of epitaxial yttrium iron garnet (YIG) can be coupled to a superconducting resonator fabricated directly on top of it, creating a hybrid system that su...

10/08/2026

An advanced material derived from coal could be the key to overcoming a major obstacle in next-generation microelectronics.

Associate Professor Qing Cao and his team have partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to show coal-derived carbon nanodots enable the growth of ultrathin insulating dielectric layers on the two-dimensional semiconductor molybdenum disulfide. The research was published in Nature Communications.

An advanced material derived from coal could be the key to overcoming a major obstacle in next-generation microelectronics. Researchers with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Grainger College of Engineering have partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology La...

10/06/2026

"He was a gifted researcher and a dedicated educator, and generations of students and colleagues benefited from his commitment to this community." - Department Head Paul Braun

The materials science community is mourning the recent loss of Professor Phil Geil, an influential researcher who helped establish polymer science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His work helped motivate the merger that led to the school's materials science department as it is today. His dedication to the success of future generations is honored each year through the Geil Scholarship Fund.

Professor Phil Geil passed away at the age of 95 in September 2026 following multiple health challenges. He was a foundational figure in polymer science and worked hard as a leader in Illinois materials science and engineering, serving as a champion for future generations of scientists. 

10/02/2026

The Grainger College of Engineering and Purdue University College of Engineering have signed an agreement to launch a joint semiconductor workforce development initiative.

The partnership will prepare students for careers in semiconductor fabrication, equipment and materials, chip design and advanced packaging, with a shared industry advisory board helping shape courses and programs. Students can look forward to expanded experiential learning, including clean-room training, research projects, internships and co-ops.

With the U.S. semiconductor industry facing a potential shortfall of 157,000 skilled workers by 2030, this collaboration helps build the talent pipeline the industry needs.

Purdue University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.) signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday (Sept. 18) to establish a joint semiconductor workforce development initiative to prepare students for careers in an industry whose rapid growth is being driven by the AI boom.