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In article <1992Jul20.172508.23796@news.acns.nwu.edu> mmass@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Michael Massing) writes:
>
>	Hello to all of you!  I'm an entering freshman at N.U. who is
>seriously considering Materials Engineering as a major.  I'm going into a 6
>year PhD program, so I want to know if I'm making the right choice.  I'd like
>E-Mail on projects you are working on, info about different fields of
>Materials Engineering (i.e. Semiconductors, ceramics ...) and whether or not
>you feel Materials Engineering was a good choice for a career and why.
>
>	All help is appreciated!!!!
>
>	Mike Massing
>	mmass@casbah.acns.nwu.edu

    I am a couple of years out of a PhD program in Material Science/Engineering
    and from my vantage point the future looks bright for the field.  I am
    encouraged by the heightened attention that the field and profession has
    received and I believe that Materials science and engineering is emerging
    as a coherent field.  For a good overview of the present status of the
    field and its future potential I suggest you read the book recently
    published by the National Research Council entitled:

"Materials Science and Engineering for the 1990s - Maintaining competitveness
in the Age of Materials", National Academy Press, Wash D.C. 1989.

    Of particular interest to your situation is one of the conclusions;

"The total number of degrees granted by materials-designated departments plus
those granted in solid-state physics and chemistry and in polymer physics and
chemistry in the field of materials science and engineering has remained
essentially constant for more than 20 years, while opportunities in the field
have expanded.  If they are implemented, the initiatives recommended in this
report will create an additional demand for highly qualified personnel in
materials science and engineering."

    The question then is are the recommendations of this report being
    implemented?  From the evidence I have seen they are attracting a lot of
    attention and some actual activity.  In fact I point to the creation of the
    Advanced Materials and Processing Program (AMPP) by the US federal
    government as a step in the right direction.  I quote the charter of that
    program;

"AMPP is a coordinated interagency effort to exploit opportunities in materials
research and development to meet significant national goals and to extend U.S.
leadership in this area.  If aggressively exploited, this effort should lead to
materials having properties and performance tailored for specific applications
that can be fabricated by cost-effective and environmentally sound processes.
Increased investments in materials science and technology should result in
major contributions to this Nation's quality of life, national security,
industrial productivity, and economic growth."

    You can obtain a copy of the AMPP program scope and intent by sending a
    request to:

                   Committee on Industry and Technology/COMAT
                   c/o National Institute of Standards and Technology
                   Room B309, Materials Building
                   Gaithersburg MD 20899
                   Phone (301) 975-5655

     This document will give you some insight into what the future US
     government support for materials research will look like.  

Hope this helps.

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