About

Overview

The Materials Scientist Association (MSA) is an organization for UCSB Materials students, postdocs, and staff. MSA is focused on promoting social cohesion within the department, providing professional development opportunities for students and postdocs, and working to advocate on behalf of all members within the Materials department at UCSB. In addition, the MSA aims to foster a welcoming, healthy, and diverse community at all levels within the department. Voting members are all Materials graduate students and postdocs, and graduate students/postdocs from other departments with faculty advisors who have majority appointments in Materials.

Executive Board and Committees

MSA is mainly operated through the executive board and committee members. Executive board positions, with the exception of the first-year liaison, are voted on by MSA members annually. Calls are occasionally sent out to the broader MSA membership for committee members volunteers. Committees are specialized for different areas of MSA operations and meet amongst themselves with appropriate frequency to cover their tasks. Each committee decides on one member representative to attend MSA board meetings and update on progress.

Executive Board

President

The president liases with the department and generally coordinates with the rest of the board.

Treasurer

The treasurer finds funding opportunities for the MSA, coordinates reimbursements, and handles organization-related fees.

Secretary

The secretary communicates with MSA members through email newsletters and manages MSA’s social media accounts and website.

First-year Liason

The first-year liaison is a first-year student who ensures that first-year voices are heard on the board, and communicates information and resources to other new students to make the transition to graduate school easier. The position is voted on only by first-year students.

GSA Representative

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) representative serves as a liaison between the MSA and the GSA on campus and helps inform students on critical topics such as housing and funding opportunities.

Social Committee

The Social Committee brainstorms and organizes social events for MSA members, as well as events that can grow the connections between all department members. It also collects resources for various aspects of graduate school life, including aspects of the PhD program, housing, mental health, and recreation. Many of these resources are published under the Resources pages on this website.

Outreach Committee

The Outreach Committee compiles resources and programs where MSA members could participate in outreach, and identifies gaps in outreach that could be addressed by MSA in the future, including outreach events through MSA.

Professional Development Committee

The Professional Development Committee hosts various career building events such as inviting industry speakers to come speak to current graduate students about their path and experiences, and coordinating with the UCSB Career Services for various workshops (such as resume or LinkedIn building). Additionally, it compiles career-related resources for graduate students.

Visit Weekend Committee

The Visit Weekend Committee aids the department in planning and executing the visit weekend to give prospective students and graduate student hosts the best experience possible.

Postdoc Committee

The Postdoc Committee was formed in 2024 to correspond with the MSA's inclusive name change from "Student" to "Scientist." They seek to help foster a closer community of postdocs working in and adjacent to the Materials department through social events. Additionally, the Postdoc Committee works with the Professional Development Committee and Faculty in the department to host events more geared towards careers in academia.