{"id":5761,"date":"2024-10-29T14:27:22","date_gmt":"2024-10-29T18:27:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/MCP\/?p=5761"},"modified":"2025-04-14T14:11:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T21:11:11","slug":"the-pinnacle-of-materials-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/MCP\/2024\/10\/29\/the-pinnacle-of-materials-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pinnacle of Materials Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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From left to right: Ken Livi, associate research scientist and director of operations at the MCP; Mitra Taheri, professor and director of the MCP; Ed Schlesinger, Benjamin T. Rome Dean of the Whiting School of Engineering.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Johns Hopkins\u2019\u00a0<\/span>Materials Characterization and Processing (MCP) facility<\/span><\/a>, housed in the Stieff Silver building, has been quietly revolutionizing materials science and engineering for four years. On September 25, this world-leading center for cutting-edge research into the atomic structure of materials was showcased to the world.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The MCP\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Innovation Nexus: Workshop and Celebration\u00a0event attracted more than 200 attendees, including some of the world\u2019s leading experts from academia, government, and industry, along with JHU faculty, staff, and students. Over 40 speakers and panelists explored the role of AI and machine learning in materials science, examining its transformative potential in applications ranging from\u00a0<\/span>discovering new\u00a0materials\u00a0<\/span>to solving\u00a0complex societal problems. The day also featured demonstrations of the facility\u2019s state-of-the-art equipment, including the JEOL Grand Arm II microscope, the only one of its kind in the country, and capable of visualizing materials at the atomic level.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an exciting time to be a part of Johns Hopkins University, with transformational changes rippling across the institution\u2014 especially here in the School of Engineering as we execute our vision for preeminence,\u201d said Ed Schlesinger, Benjamin T. Rome Dean of the Whiting School of Engineering, in his opening remarks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

JHU President Ron Daniels also addressed attendees, noting that the MCP\u2019s home building began its life in the 1920s as a silverware factory and is now home to a facility where researchers are advancing the discovery of lifechanging materials.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHere, we have a space drawing on the latest advancements in machine learning and computing to unlock altogether new methods of not just identifying\u2014but also manipulating and synthesizing materials of the highest caliber,\u201d said Daniels.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mitra Taheri giving opening remarks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Mitra Taheri<\/a>, professor of materials science and engineering at the Whiting School and director of the MCP, introduced it as a model for future facilities.\u00a0 \u201cOn the surface, the facility looks just like another new laboratory, but really, we are pushing the boundaries of machines to collect and process data. The facility is an experiment to figure out what the lab or foundry of the future should be,\u201d<\/span>\u00a0she said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AI and Machine Learning in Materials<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Speakers addressed the advent of AI and how researchers can harness the technology to achieve their goals. They discussed how they are incorporating AI into academic curricula, teaching students that AI can benefit their pursuit of scientific discovery.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAI can never replace scientists,\u201d said speaker Eric Stach, Robert D. Bent professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Pennsylvania and scientific director for its Singh Center for Nanotechnology. \u201cIt can help understand materials better through advanced characterization that employs these technologies.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Grand Challenges, Grand Opportunities<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Speaker Diran Apelian, distinguished professor of materials science and engineering at the University of California Irvine, discussed how materials could contribute to solving many of the challenges that society faces, such as producing sustainable energy and combating climate change.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tours and research presentations continued throughout the day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWhile materials are commonly wasted and contribute to global pollution, AI could help recycle materials by sorting out elements, making scrap metals useful for other applications,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Taheri agreed, noting that tools like the MCP\u2019s electron microscopes can analyze a material\u2019s microstructure, helping determine other potential uses that could benefit society and address these complex challenges.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe interactive and intelligent infrastructure of the MCP allows scientists to respond to grand challenges in society \u2013 critical materials reduction, human health, clean energy, space exploration, and more,\u201d she said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Imagining The Future of Materials Research<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

In his presentation, Jason Hattrick- Simpers, professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Toronto, explored how to optimize communication between groups\u2014such as industry, academia, and the government\u2014who are working together to advance materials discoveries.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe real challenges are how to align incentives, build trust, and manage expectations across three sectors that don\u2019t align. Understanding each other\u2019s goals requires persistent communication to build strong relationships,\u201d he said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/p>\n

Ken Livi with the JEOL Grand Arm II<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Ken Livi<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>associate research scientist and director of operations at the MCP,<\/span>\u00a0told the group that he believes the MCP can act as a catalyst towards unity between industry, academia, and government.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>By expanding outside our academic boundaries, we provide unique opportunities for our students, for businesses to solve difficult problems, and for government agencies to provide otherwise unobtainable services for the people,\u201d he said. \u201cThe MCP works best and thrives when we have a diversity of partners and users. Everyone gains when we open our doors.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Johns Hopkins\u2019\u00a0Materials Characterization and Processing (MCP) facility, housed in the Stieff Silver building, has been quietly revolutionizing materials science and engineering for four years. On September 25, this world-leading center […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":5764,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[110,310],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/MCP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/MCP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/MCP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/MCP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/MCP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5761"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/MCP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14564,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/MCP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5761\/revisions\/14564"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/MCP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/MCP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/MCP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/MCP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}