Through our strong outreach partnerships, MRSEC faculty, students and staff bring cutting edge research concepts to the public through research-inspired and tested activities that spark curiosity and exploration, and occasionally a little get messy! Research teams discuss the synthesis, structure, and properties of materials, utilizing hands-on inquiry-based activities to engage the public and K-12 audiences.
Education and Outreach
(2025) Forward Fellows Program Provides Extended Onboarding for New Graduate Students
The Wisconsin MRSEC launched the Forward Fellows program in 2025 with 10 incoming graduate students from 9 departments. The program promotes students’ sense of self-efficacy in research and belonging at the university, and provides the opportunity for students to join the campus community and immerse themselves in research one month before their program’s official start date. Admitted students who would especially benefit from the experience were nominated by faculty in departments affiliated with the MRSEC.
(2024) Reaching Underserved Communities with Materials Science Outreach through Partnership
The Wisconsin MRSEC has partnered with the Morgridge Institute for Research to bring scientific outreach to underserved communities. Afterschool programs, especially programs that serve economically disadvantaged students, can face major barriers to bringing students to campus for STEM outreach activities. To increase access, the Morgridge Institute has created Afterschool Expeditions, a program that brings UW-Madison research-inspired STEM outreach to students in their programs instead asking them to come to campus.
(2024) RET Fellow and MRSEC Research Team Continue to Support Student Outreach through Mentorship Program
Wisconsin MRSEC Research Experience for Teachers 2022 fellow Lalitha Murali leveraged her connection with Jason Kawasaki in Wisconsin MRSEC IRG 2 and support from a Agris-Pine grant from the Society for Science to arrange science project mentors for 7th grade students from her Title I school in Milwaukee.
2024 BREW
The 2024 Breakthrough Research and Education Workshop (BREW) was held on Friday, September 27. The BREW serves multiple purposes and is an important annual activity for the Center. The workshop is an opportunity for all of the participants across the Center to: (1) Share their current research with each other; (2) Meet face to face with people from other research groups; (3) Review and discuss the expectations and priorities of the Center for students and postdocs and for faculty; and (4) Explore ways that the Center can bring materials science to young people through education and outreach activities.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Highlights Teacher’s Work Stemming from MRSEC RET Program
A recent article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel highlights a project of an alum of the MRSEC Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program. Lalitha Murali is one of a handful of teachers selected to participate in the NASA/ Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, Embedded Teacher Program in collaboration with the International Space Station National Lab and the Zero Gravity Corporation.
MRSEC Participates in Wisconsin Science Festival
Swarms of children from across Wisconsin buzzed from booth to booth at the Wisconsin Science Festival’s Hands-On Expo on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
2023 BREW Kicks Off the New MRSEC
The 2023 Breakthrough Research and Education Workshop (BREW) was held on Friday, September 29. The full-day event was well attended by 47 faculty, graduate students, postdocs, and staff. The workshop served as a kickoff for the new Wisconsin MRSEC, which just began operating under a new grant from the NSF on September 1.
UW will launch materials engineering research initiative with major NSF sponsorship
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) has received $18 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for interdisciplinary exploration of fundamental questions in materials science.
Free, Informative Online Workshop: “Enhancing Undergraduate Research with Machine Learning”
Please join us for a free, informative online workshop “Enhancing Undergraduate Research with Machine Learning” on Saturday, October 22 from 11 am -1 pm (CT).