9/11/2026 Jackson Brunner
The MSE 182 lunch event brought the Materials Science and Engineering Class of 2030 together to enjoy some pizza and meet department faculty. Several freshman students shared what excites them most about starting their journey at Illinois.
Written by Jackson Brunner
A plethora of converging paths drew the Class of 2030 to the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering. Some students followed a family legacy to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, while others wanted to experience life in a new part of the country.
“I’m excited to experience snow,” said Jaina Shah with a laugh during an interview held at the annual MSE 182 freshman class welcome lunch. “I’m from California and I haven’t seen that yet.”
Shah’s true inspiration for considering Illinois came from her knowledge of the materials department’s high national rankings, but she was truly sold when visiting campus. A tour guide inspired her by showing her the high-level facilities students have at their disposal for research, including the new student maker space, the Eltoukhy Family Innovation Lab, located on the first floor of the Materials Science and Engineering Building, and the equipment in the Materials Research Laboratory on campus.
“She really convinced me to come here and she got me really excited about the school,” Shah said.
For Shawn Noonan, an uncle who graduated from Illinois materials science and engineering nudged him toward following the same path.
“When I was in high school, he was trying to foster my interest in materials science,” he said. “I’ve always loved chemistry and I’ve always loved math. I always see articles about the work people are doing here.”
Another freshman student boasted a similar story of academic inspiration.
“I like that it’s interdisciplinary,” said Jeremy Light. “In high school I enjoyed chemistry, physics and math, but I didn’t know what specifically I wanted to go into. I feel like in materials science there’s a lot of possibilities of fields you can pursue.”
Shah, Noonan and Light have every chance to explore the subject matter that interests them. Noonan described the endless opportunities he knows are available in the department, including extracurricular clubs with links to materials science concepts and classes exploring countless types of materials, from polymers to metals. Students also have mentorship resources available to them as their undergraduate journey unfolds.
“It seems like everyone’s willing to work together,” he added. “It’s a super friendly and healthy environment where everybody uplifts each other.”