Advanced Structures and Composites Center (http://composites.umaine.edu).

The University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center is an interdisciplinary research center dedicated to the development of novel advanced composite materials and technologies that rely on Maine’s manufacturing strengths and abundant natural resources. Novel advanced materials are applied in each of our six, world-renowned program areas: defense composites, industrial testing, nanocomposites, offshore wind, civil infrastructure, and wood composites. 

Graduate education is one of the UMaine Composites Center educational highlights. Nearly 125 graduate students have been affiliated with the UMaine Composites Center since its opening in 2000. While most graduate students have been in civil engineering, forest resources or wood science, most recently, several have majored in a variety of programs such as economics, international trade and commerce, and business.

Graduate students gain hands-on experience and professional training in research ethics, industrial safety, supervision and leadership, equipment operation, and ISO 17025 quality management. Graduate students are expected to become full research partners and are encouraged to develop professionally not only in the classroom but also through writing, conference presentations, networking with academic and industrial colleagues, and production of intellectual property.  

In addition to project specific graduate appointments, the UMaine Composites Center offers a graduate certificate in Advanced Engineered Wood Composites in collaboration with the School of Forest Resources, College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering.

The Graduate Certificate in Advanced Engineered Wood Composites is a 16 credit program integrating civil engineering, composite technologies, wood science, and adhesives technology. Students in this program (1) acquire knowledge of wood-polymer and fiber-reinforced hybrid composites; (2) conduct and analyze material property characterization of hybrid composites; and (3) develop skills in assessing technology for product development of low-cost, high-performance hybrid composites.

Students interested in learning more about this graduate certificate should contact: Dr. Douglas Gardner (douglasg@maine.edu) or Dr. Roberto Lopez-Anido (rla@maine.edu).