The School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is committed to continuing to engage in and uplift High Impact Practices (HIPs) in our programs and school community. HIPs are a way of life here at MSE. Between The Materials Innovation and Learning Laboratory (MILL), alumni-based connections between curriculum and “real-world” applications, the faculty mentoring program, global learning through the curriculum integration of concepts like the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals, connections with industry and alumni partners, and a learning program for students that prioritizes meaningful feedback, student reflection, and continuous updates to keep the curriculum relevant, there are no corners of MSE without an HIP.

HIPs are important for student outcomes. An HIP is defined not by what it is, but by how it affects students, and that is evident in the name. These practices are about impact on students. Student success, student retention, and the future outcomes of graduates are the focus at MSE, the entire school working together as one to ensure that all students who walk through our doors feel the positive impacts of the MSE for decades to come. When our students succeed, all of MSE succeeds.

While HIPs at MSE range from the highly visible to actions only seen behind the scenes, our most visible and probably most well-known HIP is The MILL. Staffed by our undergraduates, almost 100% of MSE undergraduates will use the MILL in their academic career at MSE. The MILL works as an open-access space that is freely available to all students on campus. Using peer-to-peer training, students use this “make and measure” space for various reasons. Between class-based projects, undergraduate research, and doing the work for campus-based entrepreneurial competitions, the MILL is a backbone of student research and creation in MSE. And, because this is a student-run space, volunteers gain leadership experience, and all students involved in the MILL take part in a welcoming community whose only barrier to entry is the desire to be there and learn.

MSE students love the MILL and love what it represents for them as creators and academics. Additionally, MSE remains committed to even the more invisible HIPs. As we continue to actively partner with the diverse industries MSE represents and work to connect undergraduate students with alumni and industry partners, MSE hopes to help students have a seamless transition from college to career. Whether a student’s passion lies in research or industry, MSE values their goals and strives to see them thrive in the future of their dreams.

HIPs are a part of life at MSE because of the positive impact they have on the academic lives and careers of our students. We say thank you to our faculty and staff for helping us enact our HIPs. The school-wide dedication to HIPs is one of the things that helps make MSE students the creative, successful, and capable academics and individuals that they are.