Materials Alumni
We bring together alumni from the Materials Science department (previously Materials department). Materials Alumni provides a platform for making new contacts with like-minded people and maintaining existing contacts both professionally and personal.
Follow our external page LinkedIn Page and join our external page closed LinkedIn group (only for Materials Alumni members)
The Materials Alumni was founded in 1999 to bring together the growing family of former students of materials science/materials and provide networking opportunities between graduates of all ages. We were amongst the founding members of the ETH Alumni association in 2001. Our numbers have grown steadily and we now count in excess of 600 members.
The words alumni or alumnae come from the Latin alere, which means to nourish or nurture. And that is exactly what we aim to do as our studies at university and the people we meet there shape the rest of our lives. So we want to promote contact between graduates of all ages, current students, the department and industry. We also want to perpetuate the great team spirit that exists in our department beyond the time we spend there and demonstrate through our events that networking isn’t just about careers but can be fun and informative too.
Reunion
Twice a year, we meet for an interesting talk on a topic linked to materials sciences (sometimes of great relevance, other times less so) and to maintain contacts over drinks afterwards. Examples of topics covered over the last few years include industrialised additive manufacturing, sustainably produced outdoor clothing, battery materials of the future and beer, brewed by materials scientists.
Company visits
Every year we organise one or two trips to interesting companies or other inspiring visits. For example, we have visited FluidSolids, Tropenhaus Frutigen, Climeworks, PSI and SuSoS.
Culture, fun & sporting events
We don't limit ourselves to the brainy stuff but also regularly organise cultural, culinary and sporting events, such as the legendary pub quiz with SMW (students association of materials science), trips to museums, the annual fondue night and visits to a zip wire park.
Materials Alumni Award
At the department’s master party, we recognise one graduate who has made a major contribution to the social life of the department during their time at ETH, be it as a party organiser or in the SMW.
Graduate brunch & master party
Roughly six months after the master party, we invite our most recent members to join us for a tasty brunch. We also provide some sponsorship for the master party.
Newsletter
Our newsletter provides information about upcoming events organised by Materials Alumni and other materials-focused institutions.
Other activities
Whenever there is an opportunity to get involved with the SMW, the SAM (Scientific Staff Association at the Department of Materials) or the department, we’ll be there. We also provide students with contacts and help our members organise an annual get-together.
Graduates (BSc, MSc), matriculated students starting at the Bachelor level, PhD students, postdocs and lecturers of the Department of Materials at ETH Zurich can join (general membership requirement at ETH Alumni). For members, there are several benefits.
After completion from ETH Zurich, graduates are automatically included as alumni. The membership is free of charge until the age of 27, as of the year of the 28th birthday, a membership fee is automatically due, independent of how old the graduate was at completion of the studies.
Become a member now!
Post address
ETH Zürich
Department of Materials
Leopold-Ruzicka-Weg 4
8093
Zurich
Switzerland
Information
Download Flyer Materials Alumni (German only)
Gallery | All these photos can be viewed on our public SmugMug page. Have you got photos of alumni events you want publishing? Then drop us an !
News from D-MATL:
Mapping the Nanoscale Architecture of Functional Materials
Researchers of the Laboratory for Mesoscopic Systems with colleagues at the Paul Scherrer Institute, the University of Oxford and the Max Plank Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids have developed a pioneering X-ray technique to probe the 3D orientation of a material’s building blocks at the nanoscale. The technique allows the visualization of crystal grains, grain boundaries and defects - critical factors that govern material performance.
Smart Microcapsule Arrays Mark Local Stress Variation in Materials
Research team led by the Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces have created microcapsule arrays that can simultaneously record the different history of stress levels by changing color. This technology enables monitoring microscale damage and pressure in materials.