About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Stuff Your Students Should Know: Reflections on How We Do—and Don't—Train Our Students
|
| Presentation Title |
Sense-Making: Preparing Materials Students for the Real World |
| Author(s) |
Drew Hires |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Drew Hires |
| Abstract Scope |
Success in materials engineering can depend less on technical depth and more on how well students are prepared for the interdisciplinary, ambiguous, and collaborative nature of real-world work. Materials engineers often serve as specialists on cross-functional teams, where “sense-making” is critical: one must interpret priorities across disciplines and integrate these effectively. This talk reflects on this and other overlooked skills essential to industry practice: building physical intuition through hands-on work, developing judgment through failure analysis, and recognizing when “good enough” is better than ideal. It also considers cultural blind spots, such as the discomfort of not knowing or the pressure to overperform. Periodically revisiting one’s career map and learning style is part of this process. Drawing from experience in advanced aerospace and fusion systems, this reflection argues that students should be prepared not only in materials science, but also in how to operate effectively within complex, real-world systems. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Undecided |
| Keywords |
Engineering Education, Professional Development, Workforce Development |