Welcome to The University Materials Council Web Site

The University Materials Council (UMC) is composed of Department Heads, Chairpersons, Directors, and group leaders from academic programs in the materials field in U.S. and Canadian universities. The Council meets twice a year, once in spring and once in fall. It serves as a forum for department heads/chairs/directors of materials programs to share best practices in areas such as student recruitment, and discuss issues such as ABET accreditation, emerging research areas, ideas for curricular improvements, patent right policies in universities, implications of the latest materials related studies, and the health of research funding for Materials Science and Engineering as well as a variety of other issues of interest to the academic community.

UMC's Primary Goals
UMC conducts surveys to benchmark enrollments, degrees awarded, faculty salaries, research funding, and graduate student stipends and holds discussions at its meetings regarding the latest trends gleaned from the surveys. The Council also maintains liaison with prominent materials societies and with bodies such as the National Materials Advisory Board (NMAB) and the Federation of Materials Societies (FMS). The primary goals of the Council are:

• To help define and influence new directions for the field
• To promote the field
• To strengthen the educational component of the field
• To foster improvements in numbers and quality of students in the field

TMS Education Resource Awards
Apply for the Apply for the TMS Education Resource Awards by submitting a slide presentation to the Materials Technology@TMS Education Community before October 31, 2007.

Award recipients receive online recognition; a certificate; free registration for the TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition; and an opportunity to compete for the TMS/University Materials Council Education Resource Award. The presentation should relate to one of the five TMS technical divisions and contribute toward broadening education resources for classroom use and professional development. For full details and to apply, visit the Education Community of Materials Technology@TMS.

You are welcomed to browse the site and learn more about the activities of the Council. To learn more about where to study materials please view our University Listing. To become a member of the Council, please contact the current Chair of UMC. The contact information is listed under the Officers of the Council.