The Club Charter

  1. The Materials Research Society (MRS) is an international group with more than 13,000 members, over 25% of which are students. Because of the growing Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) Certificate Program, student involvement and interest regarding materials research has grown in the university. MRS chapter in Princeton would serve several useful functions to supplement the growth and development of the materials programs. First, the club will expose younger students, freshman and sophomores, to the basic concept of materials research and some of the professors involved in our community. Second, the MRS will expose more involved students to complex aspects of materials research in which the larger academic community is involved. With these objectives, the Princeton Materials Research Society would both aid the growth and supplement the development of materials research here at Princeton University.
  2. The MRS caters to a more specific area, only dealing with materials, but also has a much broader appeal towards not only MAE majors, but also CEE, CHE, and CHM majors along with others who may be interested. By encouraging campus events in a both a formal and informal setting with professors and other materials students, the Materials Research Society will generate a much closer and more personal involvement in the subject materials. It will give the students an opportunity to meet materials professors and students in both an informal and formal setting to educate and encourage involvement in the materials program.
  3. Currently the MRS has four officers:
    • Co-President: Nigel Brauser '14
    • Co-President: Tamara Pico '14
    • Vice President: David Harris '15
    • Secretary/Treasurer: Trevor Bailey '14

    We will also work in association with Professor Craig Arnold and PRISM Academic Coordinator Sandra Lam. President and Vice President positions primarily serve in an organizational role to determine which events to schedule, what times to schedule events, and how to best publicize these events. They will also be in charge of making announcements at group meetings and publicizing events to different departments in person. Secretary/Treasurer will be in charge of securing funding for additional events when necessary whether from PRISM or the University. The Treasurer/Secretary will also help in publicity campaigns for large events. Future Materials Research Society officers will be selected from the group of underclassmen, freshman, sophomores, and juniors, who appear most committed to the group. The current officers meet twice a month to discuss future plans and at the end of the year these officers, along with Professor Arnold and Sandra Lam, will nominate five people who have been active members of the group for officer positions the following year. Before the year ends the nominees will meet with the old officers and positions will be determined. This will allow previous officers to share their duties with the next year’s group. It will also allow Sandra to keep in contact with people who may be responsible for things over the summer.
  4. The group will organize several types of events. The most frequent will be a “cookies and conversation” where students can get together with university faculty from various departments involved in materials related research. These conversation will be informal and designed to introduce the professors to the students, give them an idea of what they are doing, and give them a chance to meet them as people This should cost somewhere around $10-25 and will occur on a weekly basis during less academically stringent weeks around 8 times per term. The second type of event the club will organize is a slightly more formal lecture series directed towards undergraduate students by materials related professors from the area, not necessarily the university. These will occur on a monthly or bi-monthly basis and will have similar costs for food of $25-50. Along with these events, once a term the group will organize a field trip to a local area where the implementation of materials research can be seen in action. These trips will be open to all members and should provide excitement to younger students thinking of pursuing materials related interests. Costs will vary depending upon the specific trip. Finally, for those involved members of the club and members who have shown significant academic interest in furthering their academic pursuit of materials we would like to be able to send several students to local MRS chapter meetings. This will provide them with networking helpful in choosing a graduate school or a future program of study. These trips will probably occur 1-2 times a year and costs will again vary based upon location.