UF Department of Materials Science & Engineering

Upcoming MSE Seminar!⚡

Hear from Dr. Simon Phillpot, associate department chair and distinguished professor, & Dr. Kevin Jones, distinguished professor as they host the introductory seminar for the Fall 2026 semester.

Dr. Simon Phillpot received his Ph.D. in physics from UF in 1985 and spent 16 years at Argonne National Laboratory before returning to UF in 2003. His research focuses on using computational methods to address issues in the areas of nuclear materials, radionuclide sequestration, corrosion, solar-thermal energy, heat transport and methods development.

Dr. Kevin Jones received his B.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering at UF and he received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California Berkeley. He joined UF in 1987 and has spent the last 38 years as a professor studying electronic materials. His research focuses on semiconductor processing, electron microscopy characterization, Ion implantation of Si, Ge, and compound semiconductors; Li ion battery anode and cathode development.

📆Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026
🕐 3 p.m.
📍 Rhines Room 125

We look forward to seeing our students and faculty at the seminar!

Happy first day of classes! 📚 We can't wait to see what our students will learn, discover & create this semester.

Here's to a successful Fall 2026. Go Gators! 🐊

A great retreat to kick off a great year! 🎉Our department came together last week to connect, collaborate and get ready for the upcoming semester. We are so excited to welcome our students and get classes started!🐊

Join us for the first seminar of the Fall 2026 semester, featuring Dr. Yong Yang, associate professor & NE graduate coordinator.

This opening seminar will introduce the Nuclear Engineering Seminar Series, including its objectives, expectations and lineup of upcoming speakers. Designed to connect students with experts from academia, national laboratories, government and the nuclear industry, this series offers opportunities to explore current research, emerging technologies, career pathways and professional development.

The session will also feature representatives from nuclear engineering student organizations, including Women in Nuclear (WIN), Alpha Nu Sigma National Honor Society, National Security Student Organization and the American Nuclear Society (ANS) UF Student Chapter.

📆Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026
🕐 1:55 p.m.
📍 Rhines Room 125

Hosted by Dr. Nathalie Wall.

We hope to see you there!

Congratulations to our Summer 2026 Materials Science & Engineering graduates! 🎉🎓

We can't wait to see what you'll create next. Go Gators! 🐊

Join fellow educators on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, for creative sessions that inspire imagination in yourself and your students!💻

The first session "AI for Educators" of the day is with Nancy Ruzycki, Ph.D., instructional professor & Ashley Eckstein, voice of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Ruzycki will begin the day by breaking down the basics of AI and what it means for educators today. Teachers will gain a clear understanding of key concepts and practical insights to make informed and intentional decisions as AI continues to evolve in education.🐊✨ The virtual session begins at 11:00 AM EST & conclude at 4:30PM EST.

Head to this link to register: https://www.disneycampus.com/imagination-day

AI is transforming the future of materials discovery—and MSE faculty are leading the way.

Congratulations to Ravit Silverstein, Ph.D. and Yijia Gu, Ph.D., who are part of a UF-led team awarded a prestigious U.S. Department of Energy Genesis Mission grant to develop an autonomous AI platform that could revolutionize how advanced materials are discovered.

Working alongside Doug Spearot, Ph.D. from UF Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, the team will combine electron microscopy, AI and physics-based modeling to accelerate materials research by more than 100 times. Their work could speed the development of stronger, tougher and more heat-resistant materials for aerospace, energy and nuclear applications.

Read more: https://bit.ly/454cAp7

Gator engineer Kaylee Cunningham named to ASME’s 2026 Mechanical Engineering Watch List. 🎉

Selected for her work in nuclear energy advocacy, Cunningham is a second-year Ph.D. candidate studying materials science at the University of Florida and a graduate research assistant in the Materials Science Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

“I am truly honored and grateful to be recognized as an awardee on the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Engineers to Watch list,” Cunningham said. “This recognition means a great deal to me because it reflects not only my work but also the mentorship, encouragement and support I have received throughout my career. It inspires me to continue pursuing meaningful research and clean energy advocacy while contributing to the future of the profession.”

🔗 Read more by heading to this link: https://mse.ufl.edu/gator-engineer-kaylee-cunningham-named-to-asmes-2026-mechanical-engineering-watch-list/

Justin Borrero, a Ph.D. candidate in nuclear engineering, has won the 2026 Barbara Stull Graduate Student Award from the Society of Applied Spectroscopy, known as SAS. 🎉

Open to full-time graduate students from institutions around the world, the SAS distinction is awarded annually to two recipients whose research demonstrates outstanding promise in spectroscopy, a field that uses light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation to identify and analyze materials.

📰 Read more about Borrero's research and journey by heading to this link: https://mse.ufl.edu/nuclear-engineerings-justin-borrero-earns-international-research-award/

From Paris to Gainesville: Nathalie Wall’s unplanned leap into engineering excellence.

French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Nathalie Labonne, Ph.D., had both a goal and a plan. She would take a one-year postdoctoral position at Florida State University and return to her home country of France. But that goal remained a wish, as she never returned to France. But sometimes, real life works out better than the goals and plans. Now she is Professor Nathalie Wall, Gator Engineer.

“What drew me to UF was the chance to engage with nuclear science through a more explicit engineering lens — bridging disciplines and thinking about how fundamental chemistry translates into real-world nuclear technologies,” Wall said.

Her research group focuses on the chemical behavior of radioactive elements, particularly those found in nuclear waste, fuel-processing streams and nuclear forensics samples. For example, some recent work focused on preventing radionuclides from migrating into the environment.

Looking back, Wall contends her path to nuclear engineering wasn’t exactly a single decision but rather a series of “scientific opportunities, collaborations and, occasionally, life’s surprises that kept pulling me deeper into the field.”

📰 Read more about Wall's journey by heading to this link: https://mse.ufl.edu/from-paris-to-gainesville-nathalie-walls-unplanned-leap-into-engineering-excellence/