When Lehigh launched its Polymer Science and Engineering (PSE) program in the early 1970s, few universities treated polymers as a distinct, interdisciplinary field. Fifty years later, PSE remains a model for advanced materials education that integrates chemistry, physics, and engineering with industry-informed research.
From the outset, the program has emphasized translating fundamental polymer science into real-world applications. That approach has shaped generations of engineers and scientists now working across academia, government, and industry, and it continues to define PSE’s research strengths today—from polymer synthesis and characterization to sustainable materials and circular materials systems.
Those same priorities now guide how PSE educates today’s materials professionals. Alongside its on-campus research enterprise, the program offers a fully online master’s degree and graduate certificate, expanding access for working engineers and scientists seeking advanced training without stepping away from their careers.
In October 2025, PSE brought alumni, faculty, students, and industry partners together on campus to reflect on the program’s five-decade trajectory. A keynote address by Mohamed El-Aasser, emeritus provost and professor of chemical engineering and former director of the program, traced the program’s evolution through major research milestones, curriculum shifts, and long-standing industry collaborations that have enabled PSE to adapt to emerging challenges in materials science.
“Fifty years of PSE is a testament to how science and industry can work together to shape the materials that define modern life,” says Luciana Arronche, director of the program and a teaching assistant professor.
Today, PSE occupies a distinctive niche at the intersection of research, education, and practice, aligning foundational polymer science with the demands of modern manufacturing, sustainability, and emerging technologies.
The event reflected a broad and impactful collaboration, with sponsorship from B. Braun and internal support from the departments of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Bioengineering, as well as the Institute for Functional Materials and Devices (I-FMD). It was co-hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Rubber and Plastics Group (MARPG), a regional professional organization affiliated with the American Chemical Society (ACS), highlighting the scale, interdisciplinary nature, and external relevance of the program.
