Virtual Celebration for Our 2021 Graduates

We come together virtually to honor the students who have met the rigorous requirements to become UVA engineers.

School of Engineering students will join the schools of Architecture, Data Science and Continuing and Professional Studies for a procession and Scott Stadium ceremony on the afternoon of Friday, May 21. The ceremony will be live-streamed.

A message from John R. Scully to graduates of engineering science and materials science and engineering

Play Video John R. Scully

Message from the Chair

We are grateful for your dedication, leadership, collaboration and service.

You are expanding our community of strong and loyal alumni.

Play Video Gayle Schueller

Gayle Schueller, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at 3M

UVA MSE alumna Gayle Schueller offers graduates advice on how to set goals and make progress towards them.

A message from Elizabeth J. Opila, associate chair of academics

Play Video Elizabeth J. Opila

Best wishes for a bright future

We look forward to all the great things you will do after graduation. We're sure you're going to have a great impact on the world.

A Message from the Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Student Board

Play Video Katie Detwiler

You have created a lasting legacy

Always know there is a place for you in the UVA MSE community of alumni.

Congratulations to the Materials Science and Engineering Class of 2021

  • Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science and Bachelor of Science in Materials Science & Engineering

    Summer 2020 Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science

    Tosan Emmanuel Johnson, Computer Science and Chemistry

     

    Spring 2021 Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science

    Ryan Michael Crosser, Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering, concentration in Technology Entrepreneurship

    Emma Rose Yeats, Distinction, Physics and Applied Math

    Christopher Thomas Zaino, High Distinction, Nanomedicine Concentration

     

    Completed Engineering Science Second Major, Spring 2021

    Dillon Melerine, (Civil Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering), primary major in Civil Engineering

     

    Completed Materials Science and Engineering Second Major, Spring 2021

    Marcus Anthony Dozier, primary major in Aerospace Engineering

  • Master of Engineering in Materials Science and Engineering

    Summer 2020

    Alexander Chmielinski

     

    Fall 2020

    Marlene Wartenberg

     

    Spring 2021

    Philip Raymond Grudier

    Duane Macatangay

  • Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

    Fall 2020

    Anna Costine, Synthesis and Characterization at the Atomic Scale of 2D Materials for Future Heterostructure Integration

    Elizabeth Urig, Additive Manufacturing of Soft Magnetic Fe50Ni

     

    Spring 2021

    Hao Huang, Atomistic View of Laser Fragmentation of Nanoparticles in a Liquid Environment

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Engineering

    Summer 2020

    Lucas Alexander Herweyer,  The High Temperature Sodium Sulfate Interactions With Ytterbium Disilicate Environmental Barrier Coatings Systems and Silicon Carbide Ceramic Matrix Composite Materials

    Leighann Sarah Larkin, The Role of Interfacial Thickness and Quality on Thermal Boundary Conductance at Pt-silicide/Si Interfaces

    Patrick Joseph Steiner, Analysis of Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracking in Al-Mg Alloys under Atmospheric Exposure Conditions

     

    Fall 2020

    Jeroen Antonius Marinus Jacobus Deijkers, Thermal and Environmental Barrier Coating Concepts for Silicon-based Ceramic Matrix Composites

    Eric Robert Hoglund, Crystallographic, Electronic, and Phononic Properties of SrTiO3-CaTiO3 Superlattices Versus Layer Thickness

    John Albert Tomko, Thermal Transport and Energy Transfer Mechanisms across Interfaces Composed of Varying Phases of Matter

     

    Spring 2021

    William Blades, From Alloy to Oxide: Capturing the Early Stages of Oxidation and Corrosion on Ni and Ni-Cr Alloy Surfaces

    Kevin Joseph Meisner, Effects of Complex Material-Environment Interactions on Hot Corrosion Mechanisms

    Mackenzie James Ridley, Fundamental Degradation Mechanisms and Materials Optimization of Environmental Barrier Coatings

    Yin Xu, Efficient Water Oxidation: Nanostructured Titanium Oxides vs. Iron-Group Metal Electrodeposited GaAs

Meet our Graduates

Play Video Background graphic geometric pattern with diplomas

Meet our Graduates

See where our graduates are from and where they are headed.

Highlights in our Graduates' Research and Education

Play Video Geometric background image with diplomas

We Recognize and Celebrate Our Students' Accomplishments

Faculty, staff and students gathered via Zoom on May 19, 2021 for the department's annual awards program.

Recognizing Student Excellence

  • Ryan Katona

    Ryan Katona

    Doris Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf Outstanding Graduate Student Award

    Over the past year, Ryan has published five papers in high-quality journals. His research helps us better understand atmospheric corrosion, tackling the issue in the context of sea salt brines, untangling processes that predominate in low relative humidity. His dissertation research will aid efforts to model corrosion of canisters that contain spent nuclear fuel rods.

  • Meg Sales

    Meg Sales

    Doris Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf Outstanding Graduate Student Award

    Meg has proven to be a prolific author. Throughout her research career she has published 15 journal articles, with three as first author. Meg earned the William L. Ballard Jr. endowed graduate fellowship for the 2019-2020 academic year, and is now a Journeyman Fellow in the Army Research Laboratory Research Associateship Program.

  • Rachel Guarriello

    Rachel Guarriello

    Fred D. Rosi Outstanding Citizen Award

    As executive chair of UVA MSE's graduate student board, Rachel facilitated information-sharing on evolving COVID policies. She is a founding member and mentor of Students for Establishing an Antiracist Department. She is also passionate about encouraging women and girls in STEM, actively participating in the Society of Women Engineers high school visitation days.

  • Chris Zaino

    Chris Zaino

    Outstanding Engineering Science Award

    Chris served on the executive committee of the Nano and Emerging Technology Club for several years, promoting its activities and recruiting faculty and industry speakers. A valued member of Dr. Mark Kester’s laboratory, Chris engineered and validated nanoscale formulations for anti-cancer drugs.

  • Justin Kim

    Justin Kim

    Belinda and Chip Blankenship Scholarship Award

    Justin has distinguished himself for his technical rigor and independence in Professor Ji Ma’s additive manufacturing lab, studying the effect of additive manufacturing on permanent magnets. Out of the lab, Justin works with a youth group to create web-based lectures, skits, and seminars for home-bound students during the COVID pandemic.

  • Rachel McNamara

    Rachel McNamara

    Belinda and Chip Blankenship Scholarship

    Rachel assists graduate students in Beth Opila’s lab with SEM and XRD to probe oxidation mechanisms of ultra-high temperature ceramics and coated SiC-based ceramic matrix composites. She shares a "Double-Hoo" research award with Rachel Guarriello and earned 1st place in Engineering in UVA's 2021 Undergraduate Research Symposium.