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TMI's core faculty lead cutting-edge research by running their grants through the institute, fostering collaboration and resource sharing.
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Our Materials Science and Engineering program is one of the best in the nation, and our graduates go on to be leaders in their fields.
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Research
TMI supports interdisciplinary research at UT Austin, with over 100 faculty focusing on clean energy, nanotechnology, and advanced materials using our state-of-the-art facilities.
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Dr. Deji Akinwande Publishes in Nature Materials
Dr. Deji Akinwande's research group in collaboration with ETH has reported a significant contribution to the field of materials science with the publication of a review article in Nature Materials, one of the top journals in the field.
Donglei Emma Fan Inducted as Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors
Dr. Donglei Emma Fan from the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and Texas Materials Institute, has been inducted into the 2025 Class of Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors, a prestigious honor recognizing her significant contributions to innovation and technology.
Dr. Deji Akinwande's Group Publishes in ACS Nano
Dr. Deji Akinwande’s research group has just published new research in ACS Nano. The team developed a novel method using UV-Ozone to create precisely engineered defects in graphene membranes. This breakthrough solves a major challenge in ultrathin hydrogen fuel cell membranes, improving their performance without affecting the material’s strength or stability.
A Path to Safer, High-Energy Electric Vehicle Batteries
Nickel’s role in the future of electric vehicle batteries is clear: It’s more abundant and easier to obtain than widely used cobalt, and its higher energy density means longer driving distances between charges.
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Texas Materials Seminar Series
The Texas Materials Seminar Series features MSE 397 Seminars, TMI Distinguished Lectureships, and TMI Special Seminars, where leading faculty and professionals from around the world share cutting-edge innovations and advancements in materials engineering with our students.
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News
TMI Researchers Develop AI-Driven Platform to Design Advanced Thermal Materials
Researchers at the Texas Materials Institute, Dr. Yuebing Zheng and Dr. Kan Yao, along with other researchers from three additional universities, have developed a powerful new design platform that uses machine learning, computer simulations, and experimental testing to create next-generation thermal metamaterials. These materials are engineered to control how heat is emitted as light, with potential applications in energy efficiency, aerospace, and advanced electronics.
This new framework dramatically expands the possibilities for designing materials by exploring a much larger range of structures and material combinations than ever before. It enables precise control over how materials interact with light at the nanoscale, paving the way for scalable, real-world applications.
By combining artificial intelligence with a deep understanding of materials science, the team has created a flexible and general approach that could be applied to a wide variety of nanophotonic materials — including future innovations in colored emitters, optical devices, and even quantum technologies.
This work represents a major step forward in the field of inverse design, where desired material properties are used to guide the creation of entirely new materials from the ground up.
Read more of their article, "Ultrabroadband and band-selective thermal meta-emitters by machine learning," in Nature.
The Koo Research Group Presents at National Space and Missile Materials Symposium
The Koo Research Group recently went to the National Space and Missile Materials Symposium. The conference was held from June 23rd to 27th in Norfolk, VA. Attendees from the group included Professor Joseph H. Koo, lab manager Ben Rech, and graduate research assistants Samantha Bernstein, Steven Kim, and Akshar Mashruwala, and undergraduate research assistant Courtney Bui.
The group presented a total of six oral presentations and three posters on their research. Courtney Bui won second place in the Student Poster Award for her presentation on “Processing and Characterization of Rayon Carbon Fiber/Polysiloxane Composites for Aerospace Applications”. The conference was an excellent presentation and networking opportunity for the group, where discussions about thermal protection systems and ablative materials were myriad.
Guihua Yu Wins UAE’s Global Water Award
Texas Engineer Guihua Yu won the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award from the United Arab Emirates for his breakthrough work to provide clean, drinkable water using renewable solar energy.
Guihua Yu, a professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Materials Institute and UT Energy Institute, was selected as the sole winner in the Distinguished Researcher Award category of this year’s awards from the UAE.
Dr. Huiliang Wang Publishes in Nature Communications
Dr. Wang’s research group has made a significant contribution to the field of wearable neurotechnology with the publication of a research article in Nature Communications, one of the top journals in the field.
Stressed or Bored at Work? New Electronic Tattoo Can Help
In stressful jobs like air traffic control and medicine, a small miscalculation can have serious consequences. It’s critical to make sure these essential personnel are in the position to perform their best, and new research may make a big impact in that pursuit.
$12M+
In Grant Funding
20+
Research Patents
10K+
