Take a look at the Department of Material Science & Engineering through the years…
2015
2013
100 Years of Materials Innovation: the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto marks a century of world-class research and education in materials engineering. MSE at U of T continues to be one of the largest and most reputable materials / metallurgy academic units in North America
2012
2nd Annual Winegard Visiting Lectureship: Professor Sir Colin Humphreys of the University of Cambridge as distinguished lecturer on “How Materials Science Can Help to Solve Some Major World Problems”
Department received $1 million gift from alumnus Dr. Walter Curlook to advance research and reaching facilities in Materials Processing & Characterization
2011
Inaugural edition of Impact published
Department celebrates 10 years of UT², an annual academic exchange program between the 2 MSE departments at the University of Tokyo and the University of Toronto
2010
Department hosts 1st Annual Winegard Visiting Lectureship: Professor Donald R. Sadoway (MIT) as inaugural distinguished lecturer on “New Materials Engineering & the Path of Sustainability”
Canada Research Chair in Organic Optoelectronics established
Late-90s to Mid-2000s
Department’s first External advisory Board established under leadership of Professor Doug D. Perovic (Chair: 1997-2008): membership included Canada’s top industry leaders in Metallurgy / Materials Engineering — independent status of academic unit strengthened and secured
Department name changed to “Materials Science & Engineering (MSE)” in 2001, reflecting strategic expansion and faculty appointments in advanced and performance materials. Undergraduate specialization areas redeveloped to include: nanomaterials, biomaterials, materials in manufacturing, and materials processing & sustainable development
Undergraduate admissions quality and enrollment quantity increased to ~50 students per year; U of T becomes home to one of the largest MSE departments in North America
Three endowed chairs established: Energenius / Stan Meek Chair in Advanced Nanotechnology, Gerald R. Heffernan Chair in Materials Processing and Celestica Chair in Materials for Microelectronics
Canada Research Chair in Smart & Functional Materials also established in conjunction with the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering (MIE)
1980s & 90s
Continued department expansion under leadership of Professor W. Alfred Miller (Chairman: 1982-1992) via partnerships with NSERC and industry — MMS held highest number of NSERC industrial Research Chairs (IRCs) for a single academic department in Canada at the time
IRCs established: Steelmaking, Welding, Chemical Process Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, ELectromagnetic Processing, and Nanomaterials Engineering
Professor Alexander McLean (Chair: 1992-1997) establishes Departmental Strategic Planning Committee: undergraduate curriculum transformed and renamed “Materials Engineering” to reflect broader fundamental learning areas and applied knowledge
1986
Centre for Chemical Process Metallurgy (CCPM) based in MMS under leadership of Director Roland Bergman
1984
Centre for Nuclear Engineering moved to MMS under direction of Professor O. John C. Runnalls, and subsequently Professor Brian Cox
1970s
Expansion of research and teaching offerings via faculty cross-appointments to include Physics, Electrical Engineering and Dentistry / Biomaterials
1969
Professor Pidgeon retires; Department confers 72 PhDs to date — a number greater than many U of T departments at the time
Professor C. Benjamin Alcock recruited from Imperial College (London, UK) to succeed Professor Pidgeon as Chairman
1967
66 PhDs conferred in metallurgy; new building constructed (now L. M. Pratt Building) to accommodate rapid department ecpansion
1965
Interdepartmental Materials Science Centre established in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering under MMS leadership
1964
Department name changed to “Metallurgy & Materials Science (MMS),” reflecting broader coverage of research areas involving non-metallic materials
1950s
Department of Metallurgical Engineering established as research powerhouse in Canada: majority of research funding received by the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering from the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) was designated to metallurgy
1948
Professor Bruce Chalmers recruited from the United Kingdom: major graduate program in Physical Metallurgy established, lending to the formation of the world’s preeminent research group in the study of the solidification of metals
1947
First PhD granted in Metallurgical Engineering
1943
Professor Lloyd M. Pidgeon joins Department from the National Research Council of Canada and appointed Head; significant department expansion ensues
1920s
Ceramics Engineering option established under direction of Professor Robert J. Montgomery
1913
Department Eight: Metallurgical Engineering, established; Professor George A. Guess as 1st Department Head
Degrees offered: Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) and Master of Applied Science (MASc) in Metallurgical Engineering