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Materials Science and
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Core Faculty
TMI's core faculty lead cutting-edge research by running their grants through the institute, fostering collaboration and resource sharing.
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Graduate Program
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'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.
Graphene Double Moiré System Revolutionizes Quantum Materials Research
An international research team, led by scientists from The University of Texas at Austin, has unveiled a groundbreaking double moiré system made of four graphene layers. In this innovative structure, the top and bottom pairs form small-twist-angle bilayer graphene, while the middle interface is characterized by a large rotational mismatch. Fabricated using opto-thermoplasmonic nanolithography, this system introduces a new platform for exploring independently tunable flat bands in twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) structures.
Dr. Deji Akinwande Publishes in Nature Electronics
Dr. Deji Akinwande, Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, has made a notable contribution to the field of semiconductor physics with his latest publication, “The quantum limits of contact resistance and ballistic transport in 2D transistors” in Nature Electronics.
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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
Alexander Demkov elected as MRS Fellow
Dr. Alexander Demkov, a professor of Physics, an associate faculty member of the Oden Institute, and one of the Texas Materials Institute's Core Faculty, was elected as 1 of the 18 MRS Fellows for 2026.
MS&E Graduate Student Publishes on Connection Between Battery Use, Recharging, & Interface Flattening
Tushare Telmasre, a graduate student in the Materials Science & Engineering Program, has recently published an article in ECS Advances that explores the connection between battery usage, recharging, and the surface of the zinc anode. A student in Dr. Venkat Subramanian's lab, Telmasre, along with postdoctoral researcher Dr. Lubhani Mishra, and other UT researchers from the CMES Lab, the paper finds that how a battery is used and then recharged directly impacts the surface of the anode and dendrite growth.
AirGel Takes Top Prize and People’s Choice Award for Innovative Water-Harvesting Device
*Reposted from UT News*
Weixin Guan and Yaxuan Zhao, graduate researchers with the Texas Materials Institute and the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at UT’s Cockrell School of Engineering, were recognized for their innovative and cost-effective device, AirGel, which extracts drinking water from humidity in the air. Their invention also won the competition’s People’s Choice Award and received a USPTO Patent Acceleration Certificate from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
$2.5 Million Grant Awarded to Deji Akinwande for Wearable Health Technology
Dr. Deji Akinwande, a professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering department and an affiliate of TMI, was awarded a contract of up to $2.5 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a governmental agency aimed at funding research that supports biomedical and health breakthroughs. This award will help advance Dr. Akinwande's development of a wearable blood pressure monitoring system, a key vital sign for assessing cardiovascular health.
Team from Samanta Group Publishes on DNA Tweezers & Enzyme Control
Dr. Devleena Samanta, a faculty affiliate of Texas Materials Institute, and a small team from her lab, have recently published a new article introducing the use of single-moledule DNA tweezers (SMDTs) to control enzymes and turn them on and off. Dr. Shivudu Godhulayyagari, a postdoctoral fellow, and Sara Nixon, a graduate student in chemistry, developed this new way to control enzymes without needing to change the enzyme itself.
$12M+
In Grant Funding
20+
Research Patents
10K+