Keith Brown to Lead BU Materials Science & Engineering Division

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, during which he helped drive MSE’s growth, research excellence, and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Brown, a Hariri Institute Faculty Affiliate and leader of the 2026 Hariri Institute Focused Research Program  titled  “From Self-Driving Labs to Community-Driven Labs,”  is nationally recognized for his work in advanced materials, automation, and AI-enabled experimentation.  He brings extensive experience leading collaborative, cross-disciplinary research.

Brown’s work spans polymers, smart fluids, additive manufacturing, machine learning, and autonomous experimentation, integrating engineering, physics, computation, and manufacturing to accelerate the discovery and development of new materials. He is widely known for his pioneering work in self-driving laboratories (SDLs), particularly the development of MAMA BEAR, a record-breaking Bayesian experimental autonomous researcher. Since 2023, the system has conducted more than 25,000 experiments with minimal human oversight, identifying a material with 75.2% energy absorption—the most efficient energy-absorbing material discovered to date, with potential applications in helmet padding and protective packaging for sensitive equipment.

Brown’s research portfolio also includes a leadership role in Boston University’s participation in the NSF Artificial Intelligence Materials Institute (AI-MI), a multi-university collaboration with Cornell University, the City University of New York, MIT, Rice and Princeton University that is harnessing artificial intelligence to accelerate the discovery of materials for sustainable energy, electronics, and quantum technologies. A centerpiece of the initiative is the AI Materials Science Ecosystem (AIMS-EC), an open, cloud-based platform designed to integrate a science-ready large language model with experimental measurements, simulations, images, and scientific literature to speed materials innovation.

Brown’s contributions have 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.

As Division Head, Brown will build on the division’s interdisciplinary foundation, strengthening collaborations across Boston University while advancing research and education at the intersection of materials science, engineering, computation, and artificial intelligence.

“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.

The Division of Materials Science & Engineering in Boston University’s College of Engineering was established to foster convergent research across disciplines, supporting advances in areas ranging from advanced materials and nanotechnology to energy, health, and manufacturing. The division brings together faculty from the College of Engineering, College of Arts & Sciences, and the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. In addition to catalyzing innovative materials research, the division offers master’s and doctoral programs, as well as an undergraduate minor, preparing students to develop the next generation of materials and technologies.