Graduate Programs
CCM educates engineers, conducts basic research, and provides prompt technology transfer for the composites community. Dedicated to advancing composites science and technology, the Center seeks to attract the best and brightest students and researchers in the field. Affiliated students earn degrees from all of the departments in the College of Engineering (chemical, mechanical, civil, electrical and materials science) as well as other university departments such as physics, business, and chemistry. More than 100 students are currently affiliated with CCM, and 2,000+ alumni are working in the various sectors of the composites industry, conducting research in government labs, or teaching at academic institutions throughout the world.
For over 40 years, CCM has collaborated with well over 250 international companies through consortium membership or contracts and grants. Collaborating companies include materials suppliers and end users in the aerospace, automotive, civil infrastructure, marine, and durable goods industries. In addition, during the past three decades, CCM has been home to six NSF/DoD Centers of Excellence.
Research and Education
Central to CCM’s educational philosophy is a multidisciplinary collaborative research environment. Composites students at UD are active participants on interdisciplinary research teams. In addition to a solid grounding in the fundamentals, they gain practical insight into the solution of real-world engineering problems. They also interact with visiting students, faculty, and researchers from industry, government agencies, and other universities in the U.S. and abroad. This approach to research and learning helps students gain a deeper understanding of the problems posed by their research and enables them to seek solutions through a variety of channels.
Technology Transfer
Center researchers view industry and government as partners rather than patrons, in a setting where technology transfer is a logical outgrowth of the research rather than a separate activity. Technology transfer mechanisms include software development, workshops and short courses, and transition of technology into final applications. Opportunities for students to collaborate with CCM’s large consortium of industrial sponsors on technology transfer projects offer mutual benefit of meeting sponsors, recruiting needs and providing career opportunities for students.
Support and Facilities
CCM is funded through consortium memberships, contracts and grants, and ongoing Centers of Excellence, providing a strong base of support for graduate students. An example of consortium support is the establishment of a state-of-the-art thermal analysis lab at CCM. The Center’s composites manufacturing facilities are used by faculty, research staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and visiting scholars from throughout the world. CCM’s integrated approach to manufacturing science builds on the convergence of fundamental and applied research, resulting in the intelligent manufacturing of composites.
Application Process
Prospective graduate students should apply to the academic department or program in which they are interested. Students interested in pursuing research in composite materials should notify CCM by sending their résumé as an e-mail attachment to:
John W. Gillespie, Jr., CCM Director
gillespi@udel.edu
Professor of Materials Science & Engineering and Donald C. Phillips Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering
phone: 302-831-8702
fax: 302-831-8525
Contact Kristen Scully for additional information relating to our Graduate Student Programs.
