Message From Chair Lara Estroff

Dear Alumni and Friends of the Department,

Nearly every day that I’m on campus, I’m reminded of what a unique and awe-inspiring place Cornell is. This time of year, it could be because a phoenix is guarding the Engineering Quad from a certain dragon (yes, Dragon Day made its triumphant return this year), but usually it’s because of an outstanding achievement made by one of our faculty, students or alumni.

This issue of our department newsletter showcases some of the research achievements that I have been privileged to see first-hand this academic year. With applications for medicine, renewable energy, and quantum computing, I invite you to read about the remarkable discoveries being made by our materials scientists and engineers.

The awards published in this newsletter are recognition that we are not only a community of talented researchers, but also of talented educators. Several of the awards honor faculty for their teaching and advising, which is an aspect of our department that we have always been proud to tout. In addition to celebrating the accomplishments of our students and faculty, we are also recognizing an important alumnus. After a two year hiatus, we are delighted to announce that the 2022 Alumni Award has been given to Dr. Peter Green of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

As excited as I am to share with you our successes from this year, I’m also thrilled to share our plans for the future. I encourage you to explore the Cornell Engineering 2030 Strategic Plan that was recently published by the college, which includes our department’s vision and goals for this decade and beyond, as well as several of the college’s priority research directions and impactful initiatives that MSE will play a critical role in cultivating.

One of my favorite parts of being department chair is meeting and hearing from our alumni. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or the department through email or social media to let us know where your materials science and engineering degree has taken you. I’m grateful for all the ways our alumni stay connected and support the department. Thank you to everyone who gave on Cornell Giving Day – the college received more than $778,000, and I appreciate everyone who chose to give directly to MSE. Please note that there are more giving opportunities listed in this newsletter.

Warm regards,

Lara Estroff
Department Chair