A traditional strength of the MSE department is glasses, oxide and non-oxide ceramics, powder processing and ceramic composites. There is a focus on materials for extreme environments, such as ceramic armor and hypersonic materials.

Sustainable materials include developing environmentally friendly processing methods to recycle polymers and concrete into construction materials. New cement chemistries are studied that reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Energy storage is a critical area of research for electric vehicles, grid modernization, smartphones and sensors. Photovoltaics (PV) and solar thermal systems are being optimized for a wide range of application including agrivoltaics, where PV and agriculture are synergistically co-located. Research in these areas are closely related to sustainability as they directly support the drive towards a carbon-free society.

Materials for photonics and elecronics includes organic and inorganic semiconductors, fluorescent and phosphorescent materials and ferroelectric and piezoelectric sensors and actuators. Nanostructured assemblies are studied for plasmonic behavior, along with materials for organic light emitting diodes (OLED).

Modeling techniques are used at a variety of length and time scales spanning from atomistic to continuum. Focus areas of modeling and theory are the performance of surfaces, mechanical behavior of metals, and amorphous materials.

Properties of glass and the biocompatibility of various materials are studied for both implant and therapeutic applications.