The Center for Materials Diagnostics (CMD) was established at the University of Dayton (UD) in 1998. The Center is becoming well regarded as one of the leading materials characterization laboratories focused on micro- and nano-characterization techniques, the assessment and prevention of mechanical and environmental degradation in advanced aircraft materials, and sensor technology.

The Center has successfully conducted a MURI (Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative) program, which was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). As in the MURI program, UD was joined by other universities from the United States and Europe to conduct research on innovative high-resolution methods for NDE and materials characterization. The Center is active in enhancing collaboration and fostering the transfer of research discoveries among international team members and closely cooperates with scientists at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton and NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The CMD team organized two MRS symposia on Nondestructive Materials Characterization and is responsible for the annual SPIE conference, “Testing, Reliability and Application of Micro- and Nano- Material Systems”. Besides the MURI research program, the Center has accomplished other corporate and industrial funded research. The CMD is the backbone in basic research for the Structure Integrity Division at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI). It is member of the “Center for Nondestructive Characterization and Reliability Assurance of Micro- and Nano-Materials” that is in development according to an award from the Ohio Board of Regions in 2002.

Education is a vital part of the Center’s plans. Graduate courses have been started in several graduate programs within UD’s School of Engineering. By virtue of their experience on research projects using state-of-the-art facilities, students who graduate from this program will be highly skilled in advanced NDE and materials characterization methodologies. The CMD already has experience in graduating Ph.D. students advised by an international team.