Part 2. The Recent Past: 1982-1988 

In the Fall of 1982 Professor Merton C. Flemings succeeded Professor Owen as Department head. Since then the Department has continued its transformation into a balanced and integrated materials department. This involved many changes in teaching programs, organization, and faculty. 

Undergraduate Studies 

A new undergraduate curriculum, the first in over ten years, went into effect in 1983. The revised curriculum contained a strong core of required subjects that cut across all materials classes and provided a foundation for a materials science and engineering education. Restricted electives offered in the four major classes of metals, ceramics, polymers, and electronic materials permitted a measure of materials-oriented specialization. 

The first laboratory of a new two-tier sequence was instituted in 1983-84 and proved to be a success. The second laboratory subject required new planning and new facilities. A great improvement in the undergraduate laboratory facilities was made possible by substantial gifts from the Balfour Foundation and IBM. The original laboratory subject 3.081, which under Professor Ogilvie's direction had reached registrations of over 100 students, was taken over by Professor Hobbs in 1984-85. 

Graduate Studies 

The Department introduced a new policy governing the preparation for the doctorate examination. The two core subjects, thermodynamics and kinetics, were recommended for all doctoral candidates. 

A new interdepartmental Program in Polymer Science and Technology was instituted in 1986 under the direction of Professor Robert E. Cohen (Department of Chemical Engineering), who was succeeded in 1987 by Professor Frederick j. McGarry. The program was open to graduate students registered in the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics. 

The graduate enrollment in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering reached 277 students in 1985-86, reflecting a large number of applications. The quality of accepted applicants continued to improve, but it was felt that limitations of physical and teaching resources militated against further increases in graduate enrollment. 

The subject areas open to graduate students and the distribution of students for the academic years 1983-84 through 1986-87 is shown in the following table: 

Percentage of Graduate Students Registered in Subject Areas