News and Events
News and Events
News and Events

Texas Engineers have discovered a new phenomenon in modern batteries, one that could be used to improve their life cycles.
Battery performance suffers over time, like when a phone needs to be charged more frequently after years of use. A thin film that forms on the metal anode when the battery is charging and discharging plays a part in that issue. This film has benefits, but its roughness gradually wears the battery down.

Measuring brain waves could become easier with electrodes and wires that researchers can paint on the scalp through parted hair using a paintbrush. Made with a conductive polymer ink, the micrometer-thin painted films stick strongly to the skin for up to 3 days, and then peel off, leaving hair intact.

Jin Yang, an assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin, was selected to receive a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award for 2025.

Dr. Jin Yang, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin and faculty member of the Texas Materials Institute (TMI), has been awarded the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, one of the most prestigious honors for early-career faculty in science and engineering. This five-year award, totaling approximately $650,000, will support Dr. Yang’s research on the fracture and material failure behavior of soft viscoelastic materials such as polymers, hydrogels, and biological under different loading rates and temperatures.

A group of researchers, led by David Mitlin and Yixian Wang, have recently published impactful research in Advanced Materials and in Angewandte Chemie, both articles making the journals’ front cover.

The Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) program is celebrating the remarkable achievements of its graduate students, who were honored at the TechConnect World 2025. This international recognition highlights the innovative research from Jiazheng Bao, Pablo Vidal, and Ming-Feng Hsieh, who have each made significant contributions to the field of materials science

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. D. Emma Fan has been elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering board of directors, a prestigious position voted on by the AIMBE Fellows—an esteemed group of approximately 2,000 members within the society. Dr. Fan’s election marks a significant achievement and reflects her dedication and contributions to the field. She looks forward to contributing her expertise and collaborating with fellow board members to drive the continued advancement of medical and biological engineering!

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.

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 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.