Welcome! Here you will find information regarding Professor Mike Shaw’s teaching, research and professional activities.  

The learning begins in the classroom and lab, where the emphasis is on the fundamentals. Step by step, students develop a solid foundation of knowledge from which many avenues of inquiry naturally develop. In the upper division courses, a deeper appreciation of the more complex topics is gained through a highly interactive learning experience.

In the laboratory, we actively engage undergraduates in research, with students typically giving presentations at several scientific conferences and workshops each year. Our group studies the underlying relationships between the structure and properties of materials. Systems studied include biomaterials, structural composites, and a recently launched effort in nanomaterials. We also perform research in the areas of applied optics and in the coupled thermomechanical/electrical performance of electronic systems.

Professor Shaw is a member of the American Ceramic Society, the Society for Biomaterials, the IEEE-Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (IEEE-EMBS), the National Institute of Ceramic Engineers and the Cambridge Philosophical Society. Prior to his current appointment, he was Manager, Design and Reliability Department, Rockwell Science Center (now Teledyne Scientific). He is a co-founder of the CLU Student Research Symposium and the Buenaventura Chapter of the IEEE-EMBS. He has received numerous awards for his publications, presentations and professional contributions. Professor Shaw has over 45 publications, including a recently published book.