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Undergraduate and graduate students of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering , along with three esteemed alumnae, gathered in April 2026 for a night of celebration and honors. The event took place at the 

Associate Professor Hua Wang and his team have developed a novel mRNA cancer vaccine platform using a self-adjuvanting α-helical polypeptide that simultaneously delivers tumor-targeting mRNA into dendritic cells and activates them — achieving 83.3% tumor-free survival in a mouse lymphoma model, compared to 0% with previous mRNA vaccines. The platform, published in PNAS, offers a promising new direction for mRNA cancer vaccines beyond their current limitations.

Senior Lecturer Matt Goodman has partnered with the Siebel Center for Design's Assessment and Research team to redesign the materials department's capstone course sequence around human-centered design, giving students a concrete framework for tackling the open-ended challenges of engineering design. His approach has shown measurable gains in student confidence and supports evidence-based curriculum development.

The Eltoukhy Family Innovation Lab officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 17, giving University of Illinois Materials Science and Engineering students access to a state-of-the-art maker space — made possible by a transformative gift from alumnus Atef Eltoukhy ('76, PhD, Metallurgical Engineering) and his wife Fofa.

The Eltoukhy Family Innovation Lab will be led by a five-person team of students in its inaugural year. Executive Director Mia Mikolajczak and teammates work with department family and staff to ensure smooth planning and provide training opportunities for the students who will use it for projects. 

Associate Professor Hua Wang has been selected to receive the 2026 Biomaterials Science Lectureship, a prestigious early-career honor presented annually by the Royal Society of Chemistry recognizing significant contributions to the biomaterials field. As part of the award, Wang will deliver a September 2026 lecture at the European Society for Biomaterials annual conference in Antwerp, Belgium.