George S. Ansell Department of Metallurgical
and Materials Engineering
For the latest information regarding Hill Hall building access, please visit this page and click on the “Building Access During COVID-19” option: metallurgy.mines.edu/facilities
Metallurgical and materials engineering plays a role in all manufacturing processes which convert raw materials into useful products adapted to human needs. The primary goal of the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering program is to provide students with a fundamental knowledge-base associated with materials-processing, their properties, and their selection and application.
The emphasis in the department is on teaching and research focused toward materials processing operations which encompass: the conversion of mineral and chemical resources into metallic, ceramic or polymeric materials; the synthesis of new materials; refining and processing to produce high performance materials for applications from consumer products to automobiles, aerospace and electronics; the development of mechanical, chemical and physical properties of materials related to their processing and structure; and the selection of materials for specific applications.
“The MME Department is one of our strongest departments on campus. It has succeeded in approaching all of its Pathways 2024 milestones as early as FY19, with strong graduate enrollment, exceptionally strong sponsored research programs, and growing undergraduate enrollment. The Department’s faculty are to be congratulated for their efforts.” -Tom Boyd, Paul Johnson and Mike Kaufman
George S. Ansell Department of Metallurgical
and Materials Engineering
Metallurgical and materials engineering plays a role in all manufacturing processes which convert raw materials into useful products adapted to human needs. The primary goal of the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering program is to provide students with a fundamental knowledge-base associated with materials-processing, their properties, and their selection and application.
The emphasis in the department is on teaching and research focused toward materials processing operations which encompass: the conversion of mineral and chemical resources into metallic, ceramic or polymeric materials; the synthesis of new materials; refining and processing to produce high performance materials for applications from consumer products to automobiles, aerospace and electronics; the development of mechanical, chemical and physical properties of materials related to their processing and structure; and the selection of materials for specific applications.
A Welcome Message
Thank you for coming to the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Web site. We have an exciting and dynamic set of graduate and undergraduate programs focused on ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, welding and joining, extractive metallurgy, and ceramics. Our programs include a strong application-oriented focus with a lot of hands-on activities and courses. Our faculty are internationally-recognized experts in their respective fields. We have outstanding infrastructure and encourage all of our students to engage with us and take advantage of our state-of-the-art processing and characterization facilities.
The field of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering concerns how to improve materials that will enable improved applications and technologies. Materials is a mixture of topics that come out of the fundamental concepts of chemistry and physics and focus on how atoms arrange themselves in the material and how those arrangements affect the properties of the material.
In view of the current news I emphasize that we will make every effort to establish and support a diverse community of students in the Department. We reject bias on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation, and all other ways people can be classified or grouped.
We support and acknowledge the value of diversity. The Department is committed to a just environment that provides all of our students fair access to resources, appropriate tools and assistance including those that address inequality, and to make appropriate adjustments to our Department to offer equal access to opportunities and equal benefits of their education once students graduate.
To anyone already associated with the Department, you are encouraged to raise concerns and propose constructive solutions. Your opinion is important and we welcome your suggestions and will work toward resolution of any concerns that you have.
To anyone interested in joining us, please feel free to contact us about our programs, how we treat individuals, especially as it relates to your personal situation, or any other questions or concerns you might have. Our Department strives to be an open and welcoming environment to everyone. We look forward to having you join us and to helping you succeed.
In closing, on behalf of my faculty and staff, I want to wish you health and safety during these challenging times and to let you know that we will do everything we can to ensure both of these while continuing to provide you with an excellent education whether you are on campus or participating via remote instruction.
Angus Rockett
Department Head
Weekly Seminar
Department Highlights
- Metallurgical engineering PhD wins Spring 2020 Rath Award
- Vladan Stevanovic wins NSF CAREER Award for work to discover new metastable materials
- Mines professor emeritus wins IIW Yoshiaki Arata Award
- Mines wins first Materials Bowl three-peat in strong showing at TMS 2020
- Evody Tshijik Karumb: "Being a student at Mines in the metallurgical department has enabled me to work with some of the most renowned people in the field."
- From lithium for batteries to neodymium for wind turbines, mined materials remain essential to modern life
- Putting ‘Pepto’ into the belly of a boiler
- Mines researchers test how 3D-printed materials perform inside a nuclear reactor
- Mines students show materials knowledge, bladesmithing skills
- Reversible protonic ceramic fuel cells able to store energy