Interim Chair and Alumni Professor
Dear MSE/NE friends, faculty, alumni and students,
As we finish another successful semester, now is a great time to celebrate the people, projects and momentum that make both departments — Materials Science & Engineering and Nuclear Engineering — so remarkable. The stories in this newsletter reflect innovative work with direct human impacts, as well as the marvelous minds behind these visions.
We feature several alumni stories in this newsletter. Our graduates have incorporated their diverse engineering skills and enthusiasm into fascinating corners and careers — including a gold-medal Olympian. These are must-read stories.
Another MSE alumnus was celebrated by Forbes magazine this year, while yet another made the University of Florida’s prestigious 40 Under 40 list. These are amazing success stories that speak to our department’s impact and applications.
On the research front, we check in with Christopher McDevitt, Ph.D., a plasma physicist and professor in the Nuclear Engineering program who is using UF’s supercomputer, HiPerGator, to improve the predictability of the plasma inside tokamak reactors. The more stable the plasma, the closer we are to clean energy powered by fusion.
This newsletter also celebrates MSE assistant professor Ravit Silverstein, Ph.D., who was recently honored with a prestigious early-career award from the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society.
Our students also shine, of course.
In this issue, we showcase three exceptional doctoral students who were selected for the prestigious Training in Radiological and International Nuclear Security (TRAINS) Fellowship. The program strengthens international collaboration in nuclear security by connecting graduate students with leading universities and national laboratories. Fellows gain hands-on experience through coursework and facility tours at research institutions in Europe and the United States.
On a sad note, MSE lost two beloved, longtime professors in recent months — including the department’s co-founder. Be sure to read about their decades of service.
I hope you enjoy spending time with this issue. Thank you for a wonderful spring semester, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the year brings.
Go Gators!
Sincerely,
Michael Tonks, Ph.D.
Interim Department Chair, Professor, Alumni Professor of Materials Science & Engineering