Materials Research Center (MRC)

Introduction

The Materials Research Center (MRC) is a building on Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's (RPI) campus, established in 1962. It lies on the south side of the RPI, near the EMPAC building. The MRC is attached to the Empire State Hall, which hosts the New York State Center for Polymer Synthesis at Rensselaer, and links the MRC to Cogswell Laboratory, which houses the Chemistry Department.

History

Under a grant from NASA on September 25, 1962, the MRC was built on RPI's campus [1]. This grant came in a wave in which NASA granted five universities a total $6.4 million dollars. RPI was, however, the only school on the East Coast that received the grant [2]. James E. Webb, a NASA administrator, former US Under Secretary of State [3] stated that the grant was designed to "house interdisciplinary activities in space related sciences and technology to universities which are making substantial contributions to the national space program." Webb was also a colleague of future RPI President, George M. Low at NASA [1].This $1.5 million grant covered around 60% of the entire cost of the project. An additional $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) was devoted to the formation of an Engineering Science Research wing of the building. The ground breaking ceremony for this project took place on October, 19 1963, led by President Folsom with representatives from NASA and NSF, Dr. John T Holloway and Dr. Karl Brenkert, respectively [4]. Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill were the architects that constructed the 96,000 square foot MRC, full of twenty five laboratories. Each laboratory was devoted to a specific subject, ranging through powder metallurgy, polymers, ceramics, ultrasonics, cryogenics, corrosion research, and other research on materials. From its conception, the ten-member Interdisciplinary Material Research Committee directed the program dedicated to materials research in the MRC. On account of this momentous occasion for the RPI campus, Webb delivered the convocation and dedication which occurred on April 23, 1966. In addition, he was awarded an honorary degree of doctor of laws by RPI at this event [5]. This dedication was the height of the "Man and Materials" symposium, which brought together leading figures in both business and sciences. Prior to its building, the center had been housed in RPI’s North Hall, a converted dormitory that was far from being an optimal research lab. To show this, North Hall is currently a dormitory again. Up until this point NASA had given grants to support sixteen different materials research projects. The responsibility of running the MRC was in the hands of Dr. Hartigan and the Materials Research Committee. This grant from NASA was described by Dr. Raymond H. Hartigan, RPI’s director of research, as being a “tribute to the high quality of Rensselaer’s research and the stature of the faculty engaged in this interdisciplinary program [2].

Current Usage

The MRC is currently home to the Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) department at RPI. In 2023, the MSE department hosts nearly 120 undergraduate students and 60 graduate students [6]. On top of this, the Materials department is home to twenty-one professors and advanced researchers [7], utilizing the labs of the MRC to perform any tests or experiments. Some RPI administration associated with the MSE department hosts seasonal events and parties, as well as research symposiums and guest lecturers for those interested in materials. The Richard Siegel Material Advantage Chapter at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a student-run materials-associated club on RPI's campus, often uses the MRC as a site to host their meetings, both formal and informal.

References

[1] “Materials Research Center.” Institute Archives and Special Collections. RPI. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://archives.rpi.edu/institute-history/building-histories/materials-research-center.

[2] Rpi Granted $1.5 Million To Build Research Center. (1962, September 23). Times Union.

[3] “James E. Webb.” NASA. NASA. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Biographies/webb.html.

[4] Rpi to Begin 2 Building Jobs. (1963, October 19). Times Union.

[5] Nasa's Webb To Receive Rpi Degree. (1966, April 21). Times Union.

[6] “Materials Science and Engineering.” School of Engineering | Materials Science and Engineering. RPI. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://mse.rpi.edu/.

[7] “MSE Faculty.” MSE Faculty | Materials Science and Engineering. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://mse.rpi.edu/people.