2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) may be new or unfamiliar to many first-year engineering students, as it is often one of the smallest undergraduate majors within many engineering colleges. To address this, a novel experiential learning activity was designed to introduce the discipline to incoming first-year students who may have little to no prior background in MSE concepts or laboratory skills. The concurrent goal was to create a hands-on experience that was both highly engaging and accessible. A themed, exciting activity was developed using molten metal, a historically significant and visually dramatic aspect of metallurgy that underpins many areas of MSE. A central feature allowed each student to safely cast a small aluminum part of their choosing. While awaiting their turn, students also had the opportunity to grow bismuth crystals from molten bismuth. Safety and logistical concerns were managed by hosting three shorter sessions to accommodate maximum student turnout within facility and training constraints. This work provides a practical model for developing engaging, safety-conscious experiential activities that can effectively introduce students to engineering disciplines that may be new to them.