University of Florida’s Department of Materials Science & Engineering welcomes Michael Tonks and Josephine Allen to key leadership roles. 

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Tonks, Ph.D., as the interim chair of the Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) at UF. Tonks joined the MSE faculty in 2017 and has been associate chair since 2022. 

Before joining UF, Tonks was an assistant professor at Penn State University, where his research earned him the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. 

Additionally, Josephine Allen, Ph.D., has been appointed associate chair of the department. Allen has been a faculty member in the department since 2010 and was elected to The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows in 2020 in recognition of her outstanding contributions to advancing knowledge of adult stem cells for vascular tissue engineering and cardiovascular disease.