Bryan D. Huey has been selected as the next Blacutt-Underwood Head of the School of Materials Engineering at Purdue after a two-decade career at the University of Connecticut, where he spent the last seven years as head and professor of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Bryan D. Huey has been selected as the next Blacutt-Underwood Head of the School of Materials Engineering. He will assume his new duties on Aug. 15.

Huey comes to Purdue after a two-decade career at the University of Connecticut, where he spent the last seven years as head and professor of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Huey earned three degrees in materials science and engineering: his bachelor’s in 1993 from Stanford University and his master’s (1996) and PhD (1999) from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a fellow of the American Ceramic Society, a member of the Materials Research Society’s Strategic Agility Council, and immediate past chair of the University Materials Council, the nationwide association of MSE department heads.

The nationwide search for a new head commenced after David Bahr stepped down in January 2025 to accept a new position as the senior associate dean of faculty. Since then, professor Lia Stanciu has served as interim head.

Huey described the materials field as “literally blasting off,” saying that Purdue MSE’s established strengths make it “exceptionally well positioned to grow.”

“Purdue Materials Engineering, and more broadly the College of Engineering and the university as a whole, all have an incredible and far-reaching reputation. The materials engineering program is one of the biggest in the country, and the faculty, staff, students and administration I’ve met have all been incredibly impressive,” Huey said.

Regarding Vision 2030 — the mission set forth by Arvind Raman, the John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering, to become the most consequential engineering college in the nation — Huey is wholeheartedly on board.

“The dean’s ambitious vision is one reason I’m moving from my home of 20 years,” Huey said. “The College of Engineering thinks BIG and has the ability to deliver. One of the dean’s driving concepts is questioning prevailing wisdom and redefining what is possible. That’s the part about materials engineering I’ve always liked best — innovating to enable today’s ideas for tomorrow.”

Huey’s research primarily focuses on measuring and manipulating materials properties at the nanoscale for electrically or optically functional materials. His work harnesses atomic force microscopy, especially for semiconductors, photovoltaics, piezoelectrics and dielectrics. He works with polymers, biological cells, tissue, and pharmaceutical applications as well.

“I’m excited to get up and running in West Lafayette and to leverage some of the incredible facilities, equipment and expertise already onsite,” he said. “As a specialist in novel and difficult measurements of local properties, I’m eager to make friends across campus through such work.”

“Purdue Materials Engineering will benefit from building connections with the impressive and yet still-growing semiconductor and quantum work on and around campus — this is obviously an important growth area for Indiana and the nation,” he said. "But at the same time, we need to nurture the historic strengths for Purdue Materials Engineering like metallurgy, ceramics, processing, coatings, polymers and biomaterials." 

Huey also foresees identifying innovative new ways to utilize industry partnerships. Some of his initial ideas include leveraging capital equipment in labs to offer characterization services and providing materials design advice to regional startups. He also has plans for teaming up with more high school teachers to help incorporate materials engineering content into their science classes. 

As far as immediate goals, Huey will prioritize growing the undergraduate student cohort even more.

“There are simply not enough materials engineers in the world, even though there are plenty of inspiring and well-paying jobs for us,” he said. “Our work is critical to so many of the new technologies that make our lives better every day.”

Also important is keeping focused on students’ experiences at Purdue, including “remaining committed to supporting department-hosted clubs, encouraging our student leaders and facilitating meaningful senior design projects, internships and co-ops,” he added.

Over the course of his career in academia, he’s come to appreciate the power of simple, genuine gestures, learning that inclusivity starts with listening carefully and respecting each individual’s lived experiences and perspectives.

“I’m also a very firm believer that one of our most valuable commodities is time, and one of the most important responsibilities of a head is to recognize the hard work of our faculty, staff and students. “Transparency and fairness are key, too. That means offering clear guidelines on degree pathways, multi-year teaching plans,  and responsible student-focused investments. ”

He and his wife, Tina, are the parents of one adult son, William. Huey is an avid hiker, rower and photographer. Another fun fact: Huey’s parents met at Purdue while his father was earning his master’s degree.

The search committee was chaired by alumna Mary Lee Gambone and Nate Mosier, and included members Xinghang Zhang, Ken Sandhage, Maria Okuniewski, Kendra Erk, Mike Titus, Arun Kanakkithodi, Rahim Rahimi and Tanya Finkbiner.