Erin Dubas, Class of 2021
UVA MSE is preparing me to contribute to the workforce in meaningful ways and to equipe me with both technical knowledge and crucial soft skills that I believe will make me an asset from the get-go, whether in research, industry, government, or some combination of those environments. One thing that makes the MSE department at UVA so remarkable are the people - the professors always make time for me, whether helping with class concepts and assignments or helping prepare a presentation for an interview, the administrators are also readily available to help, are responsive, and are regularly sending jobs our way and my MSE peers are constantly lifting each other up. Through my research I’ve been afforded opportunities to work with, present to, and develop relationships with people at other universities (e.g., MIT, Ohio State) and with those who work for industry giants, including Rolls-Royce, the Department of Defense, the Naval Research Laboratories, and NASA. No matter what field you’re interested in, each relies on our understanding of materials; this makes a materials scientist and engineer incredibly valuable, regardless of where you go.