Interdisciplinary Materials Science at Vanderbilt University

Our Interdisciplinary Materials Science (IMS) program offers a unique multidisciplinary experience where students design their own curriculum, and collaborate with faculty and students from engineering, chemistry, physics, and medicine, who are working on some the biggest of society's challenges. The IMS Ph.D. program is integrated with VINSE (Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering), which boasts brand new state-of-the-art fabrication and characterization facilities. Resources include a cleanroom, analytical/nanocrystal support core, and an advanced imaging suite. Our students rotate through three different labs in the first year to learn the culture of each research group and the advising style of the mentors prior to project/adviser selection. We offer a highly customized curriculum where students can select courses from a variety of technical departments to support their research project. This is work is supported by research facilities equipped with the latest instrumentation with outstanding research programs and faculty, where IMS researchers use nanotechnology to address the world’s most important challenges in energy, health, and security. Our graduates work in the government (FDA, NIH, US patent office), in industry (Google, Johnson & Johnson, Dow, DuPont, Exxon, and Biotech start-ups), and in academia. For more information contact: Josh Caldwell, IMS Director josh.caldwell@vanderbilt.edu Sarah Ross, Program Manager sarah.m.ross@vanderbilt.edu