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Recognizing the long-term strategic significance of materials research, the Materials Council was formed in September 1994 by the Provost. The stated purpose of the Council is to develop and execute a plan for Georgia Tech to be recognized as having one of the best materials programs among U.S. universities. High priorities of the Council include:
- identification of critical needs, including but not limited to faculty recruitment, facilities, and support of infrastructure
- prioritization of "opportunities" for emphasis by the Institute, colleges, schools, laboratories, and centers
- coordination of materials-related course offerings across campus
- coordination of materials faculty recruiting across campus
- promoting development of funding initiatives at agencies and to assist teaming in interdisciplinary research
Today, the subject of "materials" is one of the key thrust areas at Georgia Tech, with well over $50M annual externally sponsored research expenditures. Looking to the future, there is little question that the trends in U.S. consumer demands will continue to push technology development towards smaller, higher density microelectronics devices and lower density structural materials that feature enhanced performance and lower cost, as well as biological implant materials and a host of new, often unforeseen, applications. Companies with the expertise and vision to tailor materials to meet the needs of customized products with targeted functionality will have enormous advantage in the knowledge arena in the 21st century.
Nanotechnology has developed into a major federal initiative in the first decade of the 21st century. This emphasis, aimed at understanding and exploiting material architecture and properties at increasingly fine length scales, may be expected to continue for some time. Nanotechnology holds the promise of many fascinating applications yet to be discovered and developed. The explosion of information from the decoding of the genome of the biosphere is rapidly providing new paths to both nanotechnology and macro-scale manufacturing. The need for more fuel efficient, low cost transportation vehicles will push technology towards alternative fuels, fuel cells and lightweight structural materials. We fully expect that designed materials will provide a competitive advantage in the next two decades as specialty material suppliers offer tailored properties in limited production runs. The transition to the 21st century is witnessing a shift towards the era of information technology as a means of integrating design, manufacturing, and consumption of products, whether they be washing machines, hip implants, automobiles, hearing aids, high resolution digital televisions or new specialty materials with exotic properties.
In the year 2015, Tech should be perceived as:
- leading the wave in innovations in biosciences, nanosciences, and related technologies;
- having recognized strength in combining biosciences and nanosciences with materials design;
- evidencing broad integration of the sciences and engineering in materials education and research, perhaps offering joint science/engineering degrees and/or certificates in selected fields of materials research;
- providing strong incentives to foster new ideas and forging new fields of endeavor in materials technologies; and
- providing high quality degree and certificate programs in various sub-disciplines of materials for undergraduates that are competitive at the national and international marketplace.
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