Meet Nathan Mara: Director of Undergraduate Studies for Materials Science

Meet Nathan Mara, the current Director of the Undergraduate Materials Science program at CEMS. Nathan joined the department in 2017 after a distinguished career as a staff scientist and Thrust Leader at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In addition to leading the undergraduate program, he advises the department's award-winning bladesmithing team. In this Q&A, Nathan shares his passion for materials science, his teaching philosophy, and his vision for the future of the undergraduate program, as well as the exciting discoveries that drive his research and teaching.

Q: How long have you been with CEMS, and what is your favorite aspect about the department?
I joined CEMS in 2017 after 12 years as a staff scientist and Thrust Leader at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. My favorite aspect about the department is the dedication of faculty and staff to providing a top-quality educational experience for students. Every instructor in the department maintains a student-driven focus in their labs, lectures, recitations, and their own research programs.

Q: What gets you excited about engineering?
As materials scientists and engineers, we make "first time in the world" discoveries on a regular basis. Some of these discoveries can be rather mundane, but every so often we  make a truly groundbreaking finding with our students that can influence our communities, the environment, or society at large. Our physical world is shaped by our relationships with materials, and it is exciting to be able to have a part in shaping that reality.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of being a professor?
My favorite aspect is the wide-ranging academic freedom to work on the projects that get you excited, with students who share a passion for learning. As professors, we strive to be experts in our fields of research, and we get to share that knowledge with enthusiastic young aspiring professionals.

Q: What motivated you to take on the role of Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS)?
I enjoy advising students throughout their experience in MSE and having the opportunity to mentor students through multiple chapters in their CEMS careers. I also desire to improve outreach and grow our undergraduate MSE program. As someone who has worked extensively outside the academic world, I feel that I have a lot of good, hard-earned career advice that I can share with students to aid them in their next steps in industry or academia.

Q: What is your teaching philosophy?
As an instructor, it is my job to provide the tools, curriculum, and environment for students to excel in their personal education journey. I like to utilize multiple approaches for students to learn to meet their educational goals—lectures, in-class activities, projects, exams, homework, and laboratory activities. These activities challenge our minds in different ways. Much like going to the gym, learning a new topic is hard work and should get us out of our comfort zone, but does not need to be painful. Engineering competitions such as Formula SAE, Solar Car, Concrete Canoe, and Bladesmithing are excellent examples of enjoyable, rewarding hands-on application of fundamental MSE knowledge, which can't always be achieved in the classroom alone. The combination of "head and hands" that the MSE curriculum offers is a prime example of this philosophy, with its balance between classroom learning and practical engineering application.

Q: What undergraduate classes have you taught or are you currently teaching?
I have taught the MatS 3851W Materials Property Laboratory and the MatS 4221 Materials Performance Course in the past, and am currently teaching MatS 3012: Metals and Alloys.

Q: How do your teaching and research experiences influence your approach as DUGS?
My approach as DUGS derives directly from the successes and failures encountered in my laboratory and the classroom. My teaching and research experiences have largely been collaborative, and so is my approach to being a DUGS. Through collaboration with CEMS faculty, staff, and students, I enjoy facilitating curriculum development, recruiting, and cultivating a positive learning environment.

Q: What is your vision for the future of your undergraduate programs?
I envision that our undergraduate enrollment will continue to grow with the support of colleagues in CEMS, CSE, and at the University level. Materials Scientists and Engineers are in great demand for their ability to address societal issues related to environmental sustainability, clean energy, transportation, advanced manufacturing, and medicine. Our MSE program will continue to educate and train the next generation of leaders, as it has done for over 50 years.

Nathan Mara’s commitment to mentoring students, fostering a collaborative learning environment, and integrating real-world applications into the curriculum is shaping the future of the undergraduate Materials Science program. His leadership, both in the classroom and with initiatives like the bladesmithing team, ensures that students are prepared to tackle the complex challenges facing society. Nathan’s dedication to providing a well-rounded education underscores the department's ongoing success in developing the next generation of materials scientists and engineers.