We used to joke about why we chose materials science grad school over industry jobs. Doubling down, we even pursued postdoc studies, sometimes exceeding the duration of grad school. The joke? We said we cannot find jobs after college. Grad school and postdoc are ways we use to delay the reality that we have to face the real world. Deep down, we knew it was true.
At the cusp of graduation with a PhD or five years postdoc on the CV, the reality sets in. We exhausted all options and now, we have to find a job. With a decade of academic education and dozens of peer-reviewed publications, we all think we are the perfect candidate for an independent researcher, until we are in the middle of a battle with the odds of 1/500. After the second failed attempt and some recollection, we have to convert the 10-page CV that used to make us proud into a one-page resume. Enters the grand unknown of industry. The textbook knowledge and lab skills become distant overnight. Years of experience post-graduation do not add up. The delayed reality is cruel.
The Gap Between Academia and Industry
Many publications noted this gap between academia and industry (see References). Universities often focus on fundamental principles—thermodynamics, crystallography, phase diagrams—at the expense of hands-on training with real equipment. Teachers often provide ideal scenarios instead of realistic conditions. The results? These academic problems always have the right answers—perfect for testing and grading—while industry problems often don't. To make it worse, interdisciplinary problems are entwined in most practical settings.
Academic institutions are structured to prioritize research output and theoretical knowledge, not necessarily job readiness. Most faculty have limited industry experience and may not prioritize employability training for the same reason as the story at the beginning of this article—although they are the lucky ones in this context.
Materials characterization techniques, in particular, are often taught in isolated courses (e.g., thermal or mechanical properties). Students may not understand how data from thermal analysis relates to the mechanical performance of a product. Beyond textbooks, classes rarely teach communication, project planning, or interpreting data for non-technical audiences—key skills in almost all careers.
For new grads and fresh postdocs facing the industrial world, this leads to the struggle to adapt to hands-on roles involving material testing, quality control, failure analysis, or process optimization, the need to learn everything from scratch once hired, and the risk of underperformance or slow career growth due to low confidence in technical tools. Industry, on the other hand, suffers from increased onboarding time and training costs, risk of avoidable errors or poor decisions based on misinterpreted data, and bottlenecks in R&D and quality workflows.
Bridging the Gap
I have long been in the materials science field and experienced the pain of this gap firsthand and in a hard way. Ups and downs in this journey bring many stories to tell, although they have been buried for most of the previous years. At the 6th anniversary of leading TEMPR Lab, I finally decided to wait no more. Here it goes, TERMP Learning.
TEMPR stands for Thermal, Elemental, Mechanical, Physical, and Rheological materials characterization techniques. TEMPR Learning is a collaborative initiative designed to bridge the gap between academic education and industry application, helping the next generation of materials scientists and engineers turn foundational knowledge into practical skills that matter at work.
Leveraging the instrumentation in TEMPR Lab, my learning and understanding of relevant techniques, and the technical know-how from experts in various industrial fields, TEMPR Learning will create accessible content grounded in real industry workflows, highligh how thermal, elemental, mechanical, physical, and rheological tools are used in the real world, and equip the next generation materials scientist with industry ready skills, not just technical but also the best way to tell a story.
What We Try to Solve
Academic programs focus almost solely on equations and concepts, leaving out more important practical skills that solve real-world problems. A typical mindset expected from a new graduate researcher would be to: find something new -> make it happen -> find where it is useful -> publish it. In contrast, what the real world expects is to: identify a problem -> think of a solution -> leverage the techniques needed -> make the world a better place.
The contrast is self-evident. Just to list some of the day-to-day skills that we hope that we learned from school: how to select the right technique under time constraints, how to interpret noisy data and to communicate findings to cross-functional teams, and how to link measurements to product decisions. The disconnect induced by a stereotypical academic thinking slows down careers and innovation.
How We Do It
We identified the problem. Here is a solution. We change the ways we teach, the subjects we teach, the style we interact with students, and the expectations for the graduates. Sounds appealing but vague. What about the action items and techniques needed?
For resources, we will employ practical contexts, use-case problem solving, and career-building. We want to build a platform for new grads and early-career scientists and engineers. We'd love to see them choose and apply testing methods with confidence, present compelling stories with eloquence, communicate practical data with persuasion, and build professional reputations with assertiveness.
For techniques, TEMPR Learning will provide real-world examples, product development workflows, and practical techniques that go beyond textbook theories. We will use case studies to show why TGA and fatigue tests matter in failure analysis and how thermal and mechanical characterizations together reveal the full picture of polymer selection.
For actions, we will collaborate with industries and technical experts to facilitate interactive workshops, lectures, webinars, peer-to-peer storytelling, and career advice. TEMPR Learning will also focus on forging soft skills, elevating professional presence through effective communication.
Let's Amplify
It is a waste of time fixating on the temporary downward spiral of the political system, even when it inflicts direct harm to education and research. We all feel and empathize. Emotions aside, we witness every day that so many inspiring figures shine the way forward. Bill Gates uses all his wealth to save the world and its people, and solve problems that most countries cannot. We might not have billions to give. But valuables are diverse. Helping is at the center stage. Let's rise and chip in. Let's get to work.
I welcome you to join me on this journey. Let's learn and grow together. We will make the world a better place, one student at a time.
Events We are Organizing Next
TEMPR Learning commits to free learning and mutual personal and professional growth. I am thankful for the many organizations and experts willing to participate and contribute to this initiative. Over the next few months, I will organize a series of workshops in collaboration with TA Instruments. I have been in close connection with TA Instruments for many years, and I am always blown away by how determined they are in teaching the materials society.
Please stay tuned for the dates and times of these events. More to come.
Workshop - Thermal Characterization (In summer)
This workshop will cover characterization techniques in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), thermal conductivity and diffusivity testing, with cross-examination of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and thermomechanical analysis (TMA). We will bring many application-focused case studies like thermal behavior of phase change materials, thermosets and photo-curable adhesives, thermal stability of polymers and composites, aging and degradation kinetics, and thermal characterization in battery electrolytes.
Workshop - Rheological/Mechanical Characterization (In summer)
This workshop draws on the most popular characterization techniques in the industry and will cover both mechanical (e.g., tensile/compression, fatigue, indentation, creep/relaxation) and rheological (viscosity, viscoelasticity, thixotropy, yield stress, and time-temperature superposition) aspects of practical applications. We will also meet at the intersection of mechanical and rheological testing and look at how oscillatory modulus compares to tensile modulus, when rheology can save the project while tensile can't, and how rheology can track the cure profile of a new material.
References
Ramprasad, R., Batra, R., Pilania, G., Mannodi-Kanakkithodi, A., & Kim, C. (2019). Data-driven materials science: Status, challenges, and perspectives. Advanced Science, 6(23), 1900808. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.201900808
Chetehouna, V., Béguin, A., Vaudez, S., & Vuillaume, M. (2023). A teaching-learning framework for materials characterization: A case study on a course aimed at equipping undergraduate STEM students with a diversified characterization culture. Journal of Chemical Education, 100(11), 4446–4456. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00974
Journal of Chemical Education. (2024). Bridging the science practices gap: Characterizing laboratory materials and student experiences in analytical chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c00744
