Closing the sustainability gap in materials education

Abstract

As materials scientists and engineers, we have the responsibility and ability to make sustainability a reality by creating and implementing sustainable materials and processes. It is, after all, the materialization of our needs and wants that have led to the current situation. However, we need to have the will to do it, know what to do, and how to do it. We must learn what sustainable options are possible, learn to choose among the options based on societal, environmental, and economic concerns, and learn how to work with others to make decisions that change the status quo. This leads to the questions: what community is prepared to act with us and how can we educate people to make a difference? As discussed in this article, the answer is the microelectronics industry. There is a growing recognition that microelectronics both cause and prevent societal and environmental problems. It is there, in the context of these problems and the growing importance and proliferation of microelectronics in our everyday lives, that we can forge partnerships to simultaneously solve sustainability issues and teach materials science and engineering students to become leaders in sustainable electronics. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]