who are we
What is MSEA?
The Materials Science and Engineering Association is the official undergraduate student organization for the Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Department at UC Berkeley. We host a number of social events and professional development opportunities for students, teach an introductory materials science seminar to freshmen, and participate in outreach to local elementary and high school students.
Events
MSEA plans a number of department-wide as well as undergraduate-only events throughout the year such as general meetings, peer advising, major-wide socials, and an overnight host program for prospective students. We also organize Dinners of the Month where we arrange for faculty members to join students for a casual dinner at a local restaurant, and Big Feast, an end-of-the year banquet.
Corporate
MSEA works with industry representatives to host company information sessions, alumni tech talks, and company tours for students. If you’re a company interested in working with MSEA, please see “Corporate Partnership” (https://msea.studentorg.berkeley.edu/corporate-relations/) and contact corporate@msea.studentorg.berkeley.edu.
What is MSE?
The world around us is built out of materials we know and understand. Materials science and engineering is the study of why materials behave the way they do, how we can use their properties to our advantage, and how we can manipulate them to behave in the way we want. Understanding materials at a fundamental level, whether in the smallest nano-wire or the longest steel bridge, opens the door to endless possibilities of what we can create, innovate, and make a reality. As William McDonough once said, “The Stone Age did not end because humans ran out of stones.” It ended because humans discovered new and better materials. Look at how far humanity has come since then. Materials scientists and engineers work to keep changing the world, one material at a time. The underlying principles of materials science and engineering have been explored for nearly the entirety of human existence. We have used the materials around us to improve our lives for millions of years. Our ancestors used materials such as stone, clay, and grass to build homes and tools. Over time, broadening our understanding of materials and their properties enabled technological advancements in every field, in the form spacecraft, microchips, vascular stents, and even skateboards. Materials scientists seek to understand and manipulate materials on the atomic and microscopic scale. The microscopic arrangement largely determines the macroscopic properties of a material, such as its strength and conductivity. Therefore, by understanding how the atoms are arranged within the material and how those atoms interact with each other, we can predict how the material will behave and perform under different circumstances. Materials engineering uses the knowledge obtained through materials science to design and determine the best materials for a given application, as well as assess why materials fail or degrade. In these situations, the macroscopic physical and chemical properties are not the only important aspects to consider. The cost and manufacturing processes required to synthesize the material are also crucially important, and a balance between property optimization and practicality must be found. It is with this comprehensive knowledge that materials scientists and engineers design and develop the things that enhance our daily lives.
