A New Chapter for MSE
Boston University College of Engineering has appointed Keith Brown, associate professor of mechanical engineering, materials science and engineering, and physics, as head of the Division of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE), effective July 1, 2026. Brown succeeds David Bishop, who is stepping down after 15 years as division head, guiding MSE’s growth, research excellence, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Brown joined Boston University in 2015 and currently serves as associate chair for graduate programs in mechanical engineering. His work has earned national recognition, including a Google Faculty Research Award, the College of Engineering’s Early Career Research Excellence Award, and leadership roles in the Materials Research Society. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from MIT and both a master’s degree and PhD in applied physics from Harvard University.
The Division of MSE is designed to support convergent research in areas ranging from advanced materials and nanotechnology to energy, health, and manufacturing. The division draws participation from faculty in the College of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, and the Henry M Goldman School of Dental Medicine. In addition to catalyzing new research in materials, the division also offers master’s programs, a PhD program, and an undergraduate minor, preparing students to develop next-generation materials and technologies that solve real-world challenges.
Advancing the Future of Materials Discovery
A widely known and highly respected researcher in advanced materials, automation, and AI-enabled experimentation, Brown brings to the role experience leading collaborative work across multiple fields. His research spans polymers, smart fluids, additive manufacturing, machine learning, and autonomous experimentation, connecting engineering, physics, computation, and manufacturing to accelerate materials discovery.
Through his KABlab at Boston University, Brown and his collaborators have pioneered “self-driving labs” that combine robotics, additive manufacturing, and AI to increase the speed and scale of experimentation in materials science.
“I’m incredibly excited and honored to have the opportunity to lead the MSE division,” says Brown. “The division represents a unique, interdisciplinary hub across the entire University, uniting a community with a shared passion for studying and applying materials to address pressing global problems.”
As division head, Brown will help guide MSE’s academic, research, and strategic priorities at a time of rapid change in materials science, helping strengthen the division’s collaborative culture while supporting new approaches to research, education, and problem-solving.
“In addition to housing a thriving graduate program, MSE embodies an intellectual playground that connects our faculty and students through collaborative discovery and flagship events like Materials Day,” Brown says. “My goals as division head include sustaining this highly collaborative culture across the materials field and promoting research excellence in areas of deep technical strength at BU.”
Building on a Legacy of Leadership
Brown succeeds David Bishop, a distinguished scientist, engineer, and longtime leader whose career has spanned academia, industry, and scientific discovery. In 2011, former dean Kenneth Lutchen appointed Bishop to lead the Division of Materials Science & Engineering. Over the next 15 years, he helped shape MSE into a collaborative research community with strong connections across engineering, science, and medicine while contributing to major initiatives including the CELL-MET Engineering Research Center. Bishop secured large grants and opened a shared equipment lab for resource-intensive MSE research, and he significantly grew the MSE master’s degree program.
“Materials research is intrinsically collaborative,” Bishop says. “The kinds of problems it deals with are not going to be solved by a single PI but by several working together across disciplines, not thinking of themselves as ‘a chemist’ or ‘an electrical engineer.’”
A renowned condensed matter physicist, Bishop was recently recognized with the 2026 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize for groundbreaking experiments that advanced understanding of superfluid phase transitions and topological excitations in two-dimensional systems, capping decades of influential scientific contributions.
“I feel confident that I’m leaving the MSE program stronger than I found it, and now it’s time to hand it off to the next generation of leadership,” says Bishop, who is returning to full-time research and teaching. “Keith is an outstanding choice as next head of MSE. He’s a terrific scientist with the right combination of materials science skills and people skills. In this role, you have to be willing to spend a lot of time and effort on your colleagues’ science, and derive satisfaction from their success. Keith has that selflessness, and I’m excited to see what the MSE community accomplishes under his guidance.”
Looking Ahead
“It’s hard to overstate what David Bishop has meant to the MSE division and to this college over the past 15 years,” says Elise Morgan, dean of the College of Engineering, reflecting on Bishop’s contributions to MSE. “David grew the graduate programs, secured significant research investments, fostered collaborations that span engineering, science, and medicine, and—perhaps most importantly—cultivated a culture of collegiality and shared purpose that is the division’s greatest asset. We are enormously grateful for his service.
“And I could not be more excited to welcome Keith Brown as the next chapter in MSE’s story,” says Morgan, who is also the Maysarah K. Sukkar Professor of Engineering Design and Innovation. “Keith brings exactly the right combination of scientific creativity, collaborative spirit, and forward-looking ambition to this role. His pioneering work in self-driving labs and AI-enabled experimentation is redefining what is possible in materials discovery, and it reflects the kind of convergent, societally driven engineering that is at the heart of BU Engineering’s mission. I look forward to what MSE will accomplish under his leadership.”