Promoting materials research and innovation
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MATERIALS RESEARCH SOCIETY
OPINION LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT For our members, MRS Meetings and publications are essential to their career growth and advancement, providing trusted and valued avenues to share their cutting-edge research and impact the world in which we live.
Promoting materials research and innovation
Michael R. Fitzsimmons 2019 MRS President
In the April 2018 issue of MRS Bulletin, an article entitled, “The materials science and engineering undergraduate enrollment floodgates are open,” by R. Allen Kimel and Susan B. Sinnott, notes the dramatic increase in materials science and engineering (MS&E) enrollment—as much as 175% in some instances—observed at many universities during the past 10 years. The article also points to favorable trends in employment of MS&E graduates in academia, national laboratories, and industry. The future appears bright for the materials field. And that is great news for the Materials Research Society (MRS) as well, as we stand ready to provide professional development and career services that will help prepare these students for the critical transitions from undergraduate STEM education, to graduate MS&E programs, and finally to careers in materials science. As mentioned in my July 2019 “Letter from the President,” the MRS Board of Directors set forth a strategic plan in 2017 “to engage our members across generations to advance their careers and promote materials research and innovation,” and we are making great strides. For example, in collaboration with four leading scientific societies, MRS is participating in the NSF INCLUDES-funded Inclusive Graduate Education Network (IGEN), created to support and increase the number of underrepresented ethnic minority students pursuing PhDs in the physical sciences. In addition, while we continue to offer a broad range of career services at the MRS Spring and Fall Meetings—sessions on presentation and communication skills, salary negotiations, publishing opportunities, resume writing, and more—the online Career Central on the MRS website now provides an array of valuable resources. Besides the Job Board, our members will find international funding lists, templates, and tip sheets for job seekers and free access to the archived Salary Negotiation Workshop and MRS OnDemand® Career Webinars. The iMatSci Innovation Showcase has become an increasingly valuable platform for innovators to demonstrate their newest materialsrelated technologies. And the Journal of Materials Research (JMR) now publishes an annual ”Early Career Scholars in Materials Science” issue, providing a unique opportunity for researchers to be highlighted and promoted early in their careers. MRS has long been known for its vibrant meetings and high-quality publications, featuring energy and sustainability, nanomaterials, structural materials, soft materials, and much more. To support these growing needs, the Society has introduced late-news
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