Throughout history, mankind has used clothing to protect itself from the elements. With modern materials science principles in mind, humans are now equipped to protect themselves from the elements better than ever. But how can innovation take place in such a well explored area of consumer products?   Today we talk with Dr. Haskell Beckham, the Senior Director Innovation at Columbia Sportswear, to find out exactly how materials science paradigms are used to develop the next generation of apparel to keep us safe from the elements.   In this exciting conversation about the advances in t ..read more

Professional development is crucial to maximizing your ability to apply the engineering skills learned in school. Being able to refine these skills can have a positive impact on the array of opportunities available after college. In today’s episode, the two of us decided to chat and discuss what we have learned about professional development so far in our careers.   In this discussion about professional development we discuss: How gaining real-world context for scientific topics helps aid learning (3:58) Participating in leadership can dramatically improve soft skills (11:51) Some of the ..read more

How can materials science facilitate the process of creating skis from the oils of microalgae? Going from a new type of material to product is a challenge for any innovation - especially when trying to design biopolymers for rugged applications. Further, discovering innovative and sustainable ways to meet mankind’s massive demand for plastic products is a crucial challenge to tackle in this coming decades.    In today's Episode we discuss these issues with Dr. Scott Franklin, the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Checkerspot, a startup looking to tackle these exact challenge ..read more

Among its many applications, Materials Science and Engineering has a strong influence in how we design and package pharmaceuticals. In today’s episode we talk with Dr. Pratik Upadhyay, a Senior Scientist at AstraZeneca about the role of optimizing materials to enhance the performance of pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, we explore the connections between the paradigms of drug design and delivery with other subfields of materials science and engineering.   Dr. Pratik Upadhyay can be reached via: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niperpratikpe/    Our topics in today’s episode include: The ..read more

Developing new metal alloys is crucial for advancing mankind's needs in the 21st century. And many researchers are attempting to make sure their alloy systems of focus are king in the next wave of metals applications. In today’s episode we talk with Dr. Naresh Thadhani, a Professor & Chair in The School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech, about the fierce competition to make the next best alloy system.    Dr. Naresh Thadhani can be reached at: http://www.mse.gatech.edu/people/naresh-thadhani.   Our topics in today’s episode include: How metal artwork inspi ..read more

Polymers provide a diverse range of solutions to some of our most challenging problems - especially in healthcare. In today’s episode we talk with Dr. Jeff Hrivnak, a Strategic Growth Manager at Solvay, to explore the possibilities unlocked by polymers. He can be reached at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhrivnak/. In this conversation we unpack of the challenges polymers are uniquely equipped to solve in the biomedical field.    Our topics in today’s episode include: What polymers are, and how they vary from other classes of materials (2:10) How structure and types of polymers dri ..read more

Ceramic materials have been the backbone of human civilization for thousands of years. But how will these materials continue to evolve with humans in the 21st century and beyond? In today’s episode we talk with Dr. Kristen Brosnan, the Technology Director at Superior Technical Ceramics (STC). In this conversation we dig deep into the benefits of using ceramics in a number of modern applications and the future of this diverse class of materials.    Our topics in today’s episode include: What ceramics are and how do they compare to the other classes of materials (4:02) Classifying the ..read more

Electronics are the core of our information age. So how will Materials Scientists drive the next great leap in electronics technology? In today’s episode we talk with Dr. Himani Sharma, a lecturer and former research scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology. In this conversation we unpack how and where the next generation of electronics innovations may occur.   Our topics in today’s episode include: Solving connectivity issues in circuits to improve their performance (11:32) The connection between Moore’s Law and MSE (20:30) Looking into solutions to solve the problem of e-waste ..read more

How can we store and produce energy more sustainably? That is a question that we asked Dr. Maurits van Tol, the Chief Technology Officer at Johnson Matthey, in today's episode of the podcast. During this wide ranging conversation we learned how catalysts, hydrogen and other innovations in materials science can help achieve a more sustainable future.    Our topics in today’s episode include: The goal of scaling up the hydrogen energy economy (5:40) How catalysts are used to stop air pollutants (8:00) Catalysts being used to make industrial processes less intensive (10:47) Hydrogen as ..read more

How do we power transportation sustainably? It’s a tough question driving many exciting innovations all over the industry. In today’s episode Punith and Tom talk with Karen O’Brien, a Sustainability Engineering Manager at Gevo Inc., about the prospect of using biofuels to tackle this grand challenge of the 21st century.   Our topics in today’s episode include: The motivation for developing biofuel technologies Using biofuels in commercial aviation Using life-cycle analysis to produce biofuels sustainably The dramatic benefits of biofuels compared to fossil fuels Where additional growth c ..read more