Renovation of Research Facilities for Materials Science and Engineering

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9313570 Vedula This award will allow Iowa State University to renovate two floors of a 65-year old building into a dynamic focal point for materials-related research activities. The Materials Science and Engineering Department at this institution has 23 faculty members that make use of this research facility. Their research and educational activities involve metallurgy, ceramics, magnetic materials, and nondestructive evaluation and with emerging strengths in electronic, photonic, bio- and composite materials. This program in materials science is in a dynamic stage as evidenced by the 70% increase in graduate student enrollment, from 36 to 62, during the past two years. The Department is well funded by federal sources. The renovation approach to be used is based on a new concept of "shared" research space, which is believed to be particularly relevant for materials science because of its interdisciplinary thrust. "Generic" labs will provide common services to many researchers, and a good portion of the space will be renovated for use as "modular" space for individual research groups, depending on their current needs. This method of space allocation is expected to be responsive to the dynamic nature of the field and changes in faculty composition and interests as well as to provide a convenient format for interactions with other disciplines of science and engineering. Finally, this modernization is expected to become a major asset for attracting more U.S. students, particularly minorities and women, to materials science studies. ***