Faculty help drive 160% growth in research spending
Craig M. Berge Dean David W. Hahn welcomes attendees to the College of Engineering’s Celebration of Success on Oct. 22.
In a time when many academic institutions are facing uncertainty in research funding, the University of Arizona College of Engineering recently celebrated a six-year run of growth. At the 2025 Celebration of Success in the Civil Engineering Courtyard on Oct. 22, the college marked a 28% year-over-year increase in research expenditures, reaching $57.5 million, up from $44.8 million.
“That’s about 160% growth over the last six years,” said Craig M. Berge Dean David W. Hahn.
Faculty in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering contributed to this growth with grants advancing hypersonic flight, aluminum alloys and topological acoustics.
A team led by Sammy Tin, the Patrick R. Taylor Endowed Department Leadership Chair of Materials Science and Engineering, won two U.S. Army grants totaling $8.1 million to speed defense manufacturing for hypersonic vehicles. The Mach-X team makes critical parts for vehicles that fly more than five times the speed of sound.
MSE assistant professor Marat Latypov received a $580,000 NSF CAREER award to improve the performance of recycled aluminum alloys. And MSE professor Pierre Deymier’s New Frontiers of Sound Science and Technology Center is looking into how topological acoustics can contribute to telecommunications, quantum computing, and sensing thanks to a five-year, $30 million NSF grant.
“We couldn’t achieve our goals without the collaboration and dedication of every staff and faculty member in the college,” said Hahn.