I have personally found the MSE curriculum to live up to the expectations set by our department’s national rankings.
Frank Rhodes is an undergraduate student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, graduating in May of 2027. We asked him some questions about his experience at UMD. These were his responses.
Where are you from, and what are some aspects of your background that you would like to share?
“I am from Ellicott City, MD. It's about 40 minutes northeast of College Park. Outside of the classroom, I run my own club about the aquarium hobby. I keep a lot of fish in my house, and I like to plan trips to different venues with my club.”
How would you describe your academic experience studying Materials Science and Engineering?
“Materials make up the world around us, and therefore there is a lot of information to learn about materials and their properties/uses. I have personally found the MSE curriculum to live up to the expectations set by our department’s national ranking. The small class sizes and highly qualified professors foster a positive learning environment from learning material engineering basics to digging in deeper to why materials behave the way they do. I have had a great experience so far, and I know I picked the right field when I was entering college.”
Are you involved with any student-led organizations pertaining to engineering or MSE?
“I serve as a Clark Ambassador for the Clark School of Engineering. We are a group of students who do recruitment for the engineering school, and during my time in the organization I have done facility tours, Q&A sessions, virtual information sessions, and high school visits. I found this role has had a great improvement on my public speaking and has allowed me to make good connections to my fellow ambassadors and the college.
I am also the treasurer of UMD MatES, the Materials Engineering professional society. I work with other board members to host events for MSE and other students like alumni guest speakers, graduate school panels, and social events. Specifically, for the treasurer position, I have worked on improving the undergraduate lounge to be a more welcoming area for students to relax and study.”
As an undergraduate student, have you completed any internships, or any student competitions on-campus that you would like to talk about?
“During the summer of 2025, I completed an internship at Stanley Black & Decker in Towson, MD. Black & Decker is the world's largest power tool manufacturer with big brands like DEWALT, Craftsman, Irwin, etc. My role was a plastic engineer intern where I worked both with other teams and in the lab to assist in material selection and material identification. I thought this was a very useful experience as I got to use knowledge from class but also learn about the structure and organization in a large company. The way things flow in a company is not something that is commonly taught in the classroom, so gaining that experience was eye-opening into the engineering profession.”
How did you narrow your interest to Materials Science and Engineering? Was there a key moment, or a personal story, that inspired you to pursue this career?
“I had great physics and chemistry teachers in high school who inspired me to pursue science. My father graduated from UMD in 1992 in Fire Protection Engineering, so I also wanted to go into engineering. I attended several open houses and Q&A sessions before applying, and I fell in love with the demonstrations and opportunities within the field. Materials science has a little bit of everything and allows you to pick any industry you want to go into.”
What courses have helped shape your interests within Materials Science and Engineering?
"ENMA300 and ENMA 301 and required courses and will be some of the first MSE classes you will take. They cover a little bit of everything, as there are entire courses based upon every unit of those classes. I found it was a great way to find what you are interested in.
As for classes you can choose to take, some electives only come every two years so don't miss out! Some of them that I have taken/would like to take are ENMA422: Radiation Effects on Materials, ENMA495: Polymeric Engineering Materials, ENMA481: Electronic and Optical Materials, and ENMA445: Liquid Crystals and Other Soft Matter Materials."
Following your undergraduate studies at UMD, what will be your next step?
“When I graduate, the path is still unclear. The options on my mind are continuing on to graduate school either to earn a Ph.D. or a Master’s. Choosing which degree and what to specialize in is something I have not decided, but it will have to include the type of job I would like and how long I want to stay in school. The rest of my time as an undergraduate goes to figuring out which option is best for me.”
Lastly, what advice would you give to incoming undergraduate students in Materials Science and Engineering?
“I would encourage all students to involve themselves in undergraduate research as quickly as possible. It is a great opportunity to learn about certain topics, gain technical skills and group communication, allows you to connect with a professor, and provides unique opportunities to develop your own projects. I’ve seen freshmen start within their first month! It is a great experience.”
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