Category: Faculty

Michael Tonks, Ph.D., a professor, has been appointed as the acting chair of the Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE), effective immediately. Tonks, the associate chair since 2022, has been an integral member of MSE since joining in 2017. His dedication to excellence in teaching, research and service has significantly contributed to the department’s […]

The Department of Materials Science & Engineering is pleased to announce the following promotions and awards. Nancy Ruzycki, Ph.D., was promoted to Master Lecturer. Kyle Hartig, Ph.D., was promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure. DuWayne Schubring, Ph.D., was promoted to Engineer. Michele Manuel, Ph.D., was awarded the title of Distinguished Professor.

In recognition of her outstanding dedication and impact as an early career teacher in materials science and engineering, ASM International has honored Tori Miller, Ph.D., assistant professor, with the 2024 Bradley Stoughton Award for Early Career Teachers.   Established in 1952, the Bradley Stoughton Award celebrates and encourages excellence in teaching materials science, engineering, design, and […]

Lifelong learning is the idea that education should extend beyond formal settings and specific stages of life. It stresses the importance of continuous personal development.  Personal experiences also play a crucial role in this ongoing education, offering valuable knowledge and growth opportunities. Unlike structured curricula, real-life experiences are dynamic and provide unique learning chances, especially […]

Nature’s diverse structures, processes, and adaptations provide a limitless source of inspiration for materials scientists and engineers. For Guilhem De Hoe, Ph.D., who joined the Department of Materials Science & Engineering as an assistant professor in January 2024, crystals provided the first sparks of curiosity.   “I think at the time, I envisioned I would be […]

In the internet age, the landscape of human-generated data has undergone a remarkable transformation. From the early days of website creation to the current era of cloud storage, social media, big data, and artificial intelligence, the collective output of information has soared with each passing year, marking a substantial increase in the volume and complexity […]

Brij Moudgil, Ph.D., distinguished professor, has retired from the Department of Materials Science & Engineering. Moudgil joined the department in 1982, and over his four-decade-plus tenure at the University of Florida, his research interests encompassed nanostructured multifunctional materials, corrosion inhibition, polymer coatings, and particulate materials-based systems for enhanced performance in microelectronics, advanced materials, energy, water […]

A visibly nervous man is stopped at a border crossing in eastern Europe. Authorities find a glass tube filled with black powder inside a heavy lead container in his trunk. Geiger counters go crazy. The powder is radioactive. North Korea conducts a nuclear test, and within hours, U.S. “sniffer” planes scramble to gather air samples […]