Spring 2022 chair’s message to alumni

Greetings from Madison!

I hope this newsletter finds you well. We’ve had quite the busy start to spring as we prepare for the end of the semester in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. When I became the chair in July 2020, one of my main objectives was to engage more with our alumni and learn about their experiences in the department. Since then, I have greatly enjoyed connecting with many of you individually during your various visits to campus.

We are working on several new initiatives to stay connected. Last fall we held our first virtual alumni career panel, which was well attended by both our undergrads and grad students. In November, we hosted our department’s first (virtual) External Advisory Board meeting. We continue to grow our board and I know this group will be vital to the future growth and success of the department. In March, we continued our outreach with an in-person alumni panel focused on entrepreneurship. We were fortunate to have a diverse group of alumni come back to campus and share their experiences and expertise with future Badger Engineers.
 
Most recently we held a virtual alumni town hall meeting, during which guests received a department update and heard two faculty research presentations. I am so encouraged by the number of alumni who were able to join the call, and I am very much looking forward to future events where we will have an opportunity to connect.

We are always interested in hearing about you and your many accomplishments since graduating. If you have any news or stories that you would like to share with us and that we may include in future newsletters, please email them to our department’s communications specialist, Courtney Summars. We also encourage you to stay connected via our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) to hear about all of the new and exciting things happening in the department. 

As you read more about our department’s accomplishments, keep in mind that our successes would not be possible without you, our incredible alumni and friends. Your support is essential to the continued growth of our department.

On, Wisconsin!

Izabela Szlufarska
Department Chair
Harvey D. Spangler Professor of Engineering