News – Materials Science & Engineering

Dr. Hiroshi Amano delivered the 2026 Dow lecture in MSE

The Dow Lectureship for Research Excellence and Societal Impact was endowed by Dow Chemical Company in 2008 to highlight the critical role of materials science in advancing technologies that improve quality of life, such as in energy and sustainability. Dr. Hiroshi Amano, co-inventor of the blue LED, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics…

Berkeley MSE Ranked #3 Nationally in 2026 Graduate Rankings

Berkeley’s Materials Science & Engineering graduate program is ranked No. 3 in the U.S. in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings, reflecting its excellence in research, faculty, and student outcomes. Read article here: https://engineering.berkeley.edu/about/rankings/

Prof. Messersmith on Brains On! Podcast

Prof. Messersmith was recently featured on the kids’ science podcast “How Do Stickers Stick?” by BrainsOn.org – one of the top science podcasts for school aged children, with over 1 million downloads per month! You can listen to the episode here or on your favorite podcast platform, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The AI Revolution in Materials Science, Led by Prof. Persson

Kristin Persson, director of the Materials Project. (Credit: Roy Kaltschmidt/Berkeley Lab) The open-access materials database managed by Berkeley Lab has surpassed 650,000 registered users, enabling AI-ready scientific datasets at an unprecedented scale for batteries, quantum computing, microelectronics, and more. For more details, read https://lbl.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ebf9be162b79ac7f78f1b71ea&id=3715b12170&e=ea9f22c249

Researchers discover design rules for protein-like polymers

Prof. Ting Xu and coworkers uncover new rules for designing protein-like polymers. Findings could lead to eco-friendly plastics and other materials. For details, see https://engineering.berkeley.edu/news/2026/01/researchers-uncover-new-rules-for-designing-protein-like-polymers/

MSE Newsletter Fall 2025

Click on the image below to open PDF of the 2025 MSE newsletter.

Peter Hosemann Named Adjunct Professor at Montanuniversitaet Leoben

Peter Hosemann has been awarded the honorable title of Adjunct Professor at Montanuniversitaet Leoben, his alma mater. This distinction is granted to alumni recognized for their outstanding achievements in research and teaching, demonstrated through international recognition and a significant publication record. The award will be presented on December 19th in Austria during the…

Prof. Katherine Faber Delivers 2025 PPG Foundation Lecture

On Oct. 23, 2025, Prof. Katherine T. Faber, Simon Ramo Professor of Materials Science at Caltech, delivered the PPG Foundation Lecture. The PPG Foundation Lectureship for Materials Innovation and Service Excellence is presented to distinguished professors from various institutions who exemplify extraordinary commitment to promoting diversity, overcoming personal and professional hardships, providing…

Prof. Omar Yaghi shares 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry!

Yaghi is a professor of chemistry with a joint appointment in MSE. He created a field called reticular chemistry, which involves stitching together molecular building blocks to form porous structures — metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) — with myriad applications. For details, please read: https://news.berkeley.edu/2025/10/08/uc-berkeleys-omar-yaghi-shares-2025-nobel-prize-in-chemistry/

Prof. Omar Yaghi Receives MRS’ Prestigious 2025 Von Hippel Award

This recognition honors Professor Yaghi’s founding of Reticular Chemistry and his groundbreaking development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs)—crystalline materials with ultra-high porosity and tunable structures. His work has transformed how scientists design materials and has opened up entirely new fields of research and application. The Von Hippel Award recognizes “those qualities most prized by materials…