The Cal Poly Materials Engineering Department offers the only primarily undergraduate materials engineering program of the 53 materials science and engineering departments in the United States. It is student-centered with lots of hands-on learning by doing. Faculty and staff are dedicated to providing a positive learning environment where students learn engineering fundamentals, gain experience with materials characterization and testing equipment, and develop teamwork and professional skills. The MATE curriculum allows flexibility with breadth electives, as well as specialization with technical electives.
Modified from mate.calpoly.edu
Senior Projects from 2022
Processing and Characterization of Silicon Nitride for Rapid and Low-Level Detection of Water Pathogens, Arielle H. Buchanan and Logan A. Chai
Citric or Acetic Acid Effects on the Crosslinking of PVOH, Samuel Carr and Erika Szaldobagyi
In Situ Marine Biodegradation of Poly(lactic) Acid and Thermoplastic Starch Blends, Brittany DeNicholas
Non-Destructive Material Analysis of Metals and Composites via Thermography, Jonathan R. Doubt and James L. Chapman
A Waste Biomass-Derived Activated Carbon Tailpipe Attachment for Carbon Dioxide Capture of Automotive Exhaust, Nicolas Galardi and Alison Chew
Soil Degradation of a Plastic Blend of Opuntia Ficusindica Juice, Animal Protein and Beeswax, Isabel A. Gamez and Daniel R. Kava
Utilization of 8630 Steel in Golf Club Irons for Improved Performance, Gunnar Hollingshaus and Danielle Reyes
Evaluating the Effects of Granulated Rubber and Glass Fibers in Polymer Concrete as a Structural Material for Wafer Grinding Machines, Kevin Gabriel Kuehn and Philip Randall Streeter
Bio-Inspired Fire-Resistant Building Materials, Ryan Lee
Effects of Release Materials and Temperature Ramp Rates on the Surface Finish of Carbon-Fiber Composite Components, Sudeep Louis, Thucmy Dang, and Ethan Schlocker
Determining the Efficacy of a Silica and Bacterial Cellulose Composite Model System, Hannah Martin and Daisy Kamp
Cable Transit De-icing Project, Brooke Marvin, Christian DeGrood, James Lavelle, and Shanna Plouff
Investigation of the Effects of Cladding Layers on Longitudinal and Transverse Mechanical Properties in Composite Laminates, Rachel Potratz, Tiffany Foo, and Joseph Kamlet
Analysis of Novel Corrosion Resistant Maraging Steels for Use in Additive Manufacturing, Bradley Michael Samuel and James Knowlton Smith
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of Two Component Epoxy Crosslinking Networks After Solvent Exposure, James E. Shannon
Effect of Gamma-Ray Irradiation and Surface Scratching on the Passivation Layer of Stainless Steel Components in Single-Use Systems, RuiQian Sun and Joaquin Nukaya-Petralia
Inclusion and Defect Reduction by Optimization of Vacuum Induction Melting Process Parameters for Investment Casting, Christopher P. Thornburgh and Ryland Takayesu
Senior Projects from 2021
Void and Density Analysis of Cyanate Ester Composites, Cameron B. Atwood
Dental Cement Thickening Agents for Mudslide Prevention, Kristina Emiliya Babayev, Emily Elizabeth Johnson, and Diana Evet Reihaneh
Metallurgical and Thermal Processing Investigation of Additively Manufactured Superalloys JBK-75 and NASA-HR-1, Allyse Birken and Derek Noel
Pressure Driven Desalination Membranes: Lyotropic Liquid Crystals Containing Single Walled Carbon, Matteo A. Del Giudice and Samantha Castillo Merigold
Newly Developed Antifouling Coating Alloys for Hydraulic Cylinder Applications, Christopher Liam Fahey and Robin Ashley Payne
Effects of UV Exposure on the Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Cactus Based Biopolymers, Madison Glozer, Megan Bolling, and Addison Wolfson
Effect of Dissolved Oxygen on Corrosion of Carbon and 13Cr Steel in a Brine Environment, Kevin Peter Iu and Andy Zhou
The Biodegradation of Certified Compostable Laminate Fruit Labels: In Home Composting Environment, Angus Kojimoto and Benjamin Kohlbush