Creating new materials for a sustainable future
Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at UC Santa Cruz is driving the future of technological and sustainable innovations — uniting science and engineering to form bold teams equipped to problem-solve complex research needs.
Sustainable innovations
Sustainability is at the core of our work — we are dedicated to accelerating the acquisition of fundamental knowledge and workforce training required to develop new materials for sustainable technologies, including innovations in energy-efficient electronics, efficient light-harvesting energy sources and energy storage devices.
Materials with impact
Beyond understanding fundamental properties of complex natural systems, MSE plays a crucial role in improving lives by advancing the development of cutting-edge electronic, optical, magnetoelectronic, and bioelectronic devices.
Shaping career success
Students in our program benefit from immersive learning experiences within world-class research groups. Through collaboration with faculty and industry partners, our students gain experience and skills needed to meet real-world challenges in the field — contributing to UCSC’s legacy of environmental stewardship and interdisciplinary collaboration.
World-class graduate programs
UCSC offers MSE programs in both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, enabling impactful research and interdisciplinary collaboration. These programs are supported by esteemed faculty and state-of-the-art facilities — which ensure our students are well-prepared for successful careers.
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
The REU program at UCSC offers undergraduate students unique opportunities to engage in hands-on research across physics, chemistry, and engineering. Our students actively contribute to the discovery and development of materials crucial for developing sustainable technologies.
Jairo Velasco Jr. Co-Leads Study Featured in Nature Confirming 40-Year-Old Quantum Theory
In a new paper published on November 27 in Nature, an international team co-led by UC Santa Cruz Materials Science & Engineering Professor, Jairo Velasco Jr., detail an experiment that confirms a theory first put forth 40 years ago stating that electrons confined in quantum space would move along common paths rather than producing a chaotic jumble of trajectories.
Hendrik Ohldag Elected Fellow of IEEE
UC Santa Cruz Materials Science & Engineering Professor Hendrik Ohldag has been elected as a 2025 fellow of IEEE (originally chartered as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). The Board of Directors recognizes him “for contributions to studies of magnetic materials with novel x-ray techniques at high spatio-temporal resolution.”