With this inaugural newsletter, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you a little history of our program and its growth since its inception. I recently became director of the Materials Science and Engineering Program here at ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder in July 2021 and am honored to lead such an outstanding group of faculty and students who are at the forefront of exciting materials research in several critical areas of national interest that range from combating climate change to improving human health outcomes.