Department of Materials Science & Engineering

Researchers at the University of Florida are developing advanced technologies to detect nuclear activity from space.

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 […]

Nuclear engineering doctoral student Rachel Dorsett recently became a fellow of the Rickover Fellowship Program in Nuclear Engineering, a program sponsored by the Naval Reactors Division of the U.S. Department of Energy.   Dorsett is advised by Yong Yang, Ph.D., an associate professor in UF’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering.  …

The University of Florida’s Materials Science and Engineering students claimed back-to-back victories at the 2026 TMS Materials Bowl, showcasing their expertise in materials science and the strength of their teamwork in a high-speed, trivia-style competition.

Jacob DeWitte, a UF nuclear engineering alum and CEO of Oklo Inc., was named to the 40 Under 40 list for his work developing innovative, small-scale nuclear reactors for clean, reliable energy.

When Jason Gibson received his doctorate from the University of Florida’s Department of Materials Science & Engineering, or MSE, in 2024, it was the culmination of years of work at the intersection of superconductors and artificial intelligence.   Perhaps it’s no surprise that he went on to co-found Quantum Formatics, a company focused on usin…

Ravit Silverstein, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Florida, received a national early career award from The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. Her research focuses on designing stronger, more resilient materials for extreme environments using atomic-scale engineering and advanced microscopy techniques.

University of Florida researchers are using machine learning on the HiPerGator supercomputer to tame the extreme plasma inside tokamaks. Their work aims to make fusion energy—a carbon-free, sun-powered source—safer and more attainable.

Enrique Medici and Hannah Patz were selected for the highly competitive Training in Radiological and International Nuclear Security (TRAINS) Fellowship, a program connecting top graduate students with leading institutions and national laboratories in the United States and Europe to advance nuclear security and nonproliferation efforts.

When gold medalist Erin Jackson laces up her skates and puts on her game face for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, her stateside cheering squad will include many rowdy reptiles.

UF engineer and electron microscopy expert Nicholas Rudawski uses YouTube to help others learn to operate electron microscopes and understand electron microscopy concepts and fundamentals.

Long-time, beloved University of Florida engineering professor Robert Thomas Dehoff, Ph.D., died on Jan. 7, 2026 in Gainesville.

The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering is mourning the loss of Stephen J. Pearton, Ph.D., a distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), who died on Dec. 7.