We are the Iowa State University Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), where Materials Matter. Materials engineers create new materials and improve existing materials. Everything is limited by the materials that are used to produce it. Materials engineers understand the relationship between the properties of a material and its internal structure — from the macro level down to the atomic level. The better the materials, the better the end result — it’s as simple as that. Think of all the different nanotechnology and manufacturing materials used to create biomedical devices, computer chips, cell phones, and engines. We combine engineering, physics, and chemistry principles to solve real-world problems using a material’s property and internal structure. Our materials engineering graduates have built successful careers in local communities and around the world, in areas such as ceramics, metals, and polymers. We help students on their adventure to be passionate, be creative, be greater than they imagine, and work to change the world. MSE: Materials Matter.