Materials Science and Engineering launches
Emeritus Professor Ian Polmear, founder of Materials Engineering, toasted the evolution to Materials Science and Engineering with 150 guests.
October 29 was no ordinary Thursday for Monash engineers and engineering alumni. It was a celebration and a salute to decades to come for the relaunched department ‘Materials Science and Engineering’ in its new base, the smart engineered New Horizons building at Clayton.
With 150 guests – an amalgamation of Materials Engineering alumni over the past four decades – the celebrations marked the two very special landmark occasions of the department's new name and the move to its new home.
“The evening is about acknowledging and celebrating our department's history and embracing its future,” Department Head Dr Nick Birbilis said.
“Our alumni network is strong and the success of the alumni relationship is shown in seeing so many familiar faces.
“The new department name doesn't signal a change, it signals an evolution to encompass our growth into areas such as functional materials, biomedical engineering and renewable energy.”
Department founder, Emeritus Professor Ian Polmear, shared similar optimism for Materials Science and Engineering.
“The department has had a fantastic 46 years to date, and looks set to maintain its local and global relevance deep into the future,” Professor Polmear said.
A molecular mixologist was hired to treat guests with a selection of de-constructed cocktails served in lab beakers, while a Monash jazz ensemble kept the guests swaying into the evening.
Talking innovations and future research opportunities, catching up with old friends and making new contacts, the night was a huge success and sends a strong message that this evolving department will continue to make a name for itself in education and research both locally and around the world.