At the fresher’s fair there’s always an adventurous buzz. How many freebies can I get? How do I avoid eye-contact with that society? With options ranging from clay pigeon shooting club to gliding, at Cambridge the answer to ‘does this society exist? ’ seems to always be yes. But for one Natsci, Indigo Luksch, the answer was a harrowing no. The society he was searching for? A materials science society.

So, is this even a big deal? And how much demand is there for Indigo’s MatSoc? These questions and more are what I posed to his newly formed committee over zoom.

It is practically a rite of passage for a materials scientist to have to explain what their subject is. Materials science looks at the materials around us, from spider silk to stainless steel, and investigates the scientific basis for their properties. On the world stage, its research plays a vital role in geopolitics. Advancements in key fields like carbon capture, electronics and healthcare may well be decided by the discovery or improvement of materials.

“It’s a rite of passage for a Materials scientist to have to explain their subject”

So for Indigo, the President of MatSoc, it seemed strange that a society had not been created for the vital field. “Walking around the freshers’ fair, I was surprised to see no Materials Society. I then decided to start my own. I messaged in the big first-year NatSci chat and that’s when Qaisara, Anita and others joined.”

Prof Lindsay Greer, a pillar of the materials department, tells me: “In the past, there was a Materials society called the Goldsmiths’ Society. The old name was quite cryptic and certainly won’t be obvious to anyone outside the department. MatSoc is a nice name change that can hopefully mainstream it to anyone interested in Materials. I think it’s a brilliant idea.”

Since its inception, MatSoc has accrued over 40 members, from many different colleges and subjects. Qaisara, the MatSoc Events officer excitedly says, “Our aim is to unite the Materials Science undergraduate cohort and to introduce the subject to anyone interested in Materials. We’ve actually had engineers, some CompScis and others join too.”

“Our aim is to unite the Materials Science undergraduate cohort”

Currently, MatSoc is focusing on developing connections with industry, the hope being that students can network and learn more about the companies using Materials Science. The best part – MatSoc is aiming for membership to be free, via sponsorships from these companies. In return, the sponsors have the opportunity to connect with students and increase brand visibility.

As a fourth-year materials scientist myself, I wondered if part of this enthusiasm for the society stems from a desire not just to understand the opportunities Materials can provide but also to have our subject visible. Anita, the Promotions Officer, notes that materials tends not to showcase its research in the same way as other departments, like Chemistry and Physics. Indigo agrees, adding that he only learnt about research from supervisors and demonstrators in his lab classes.

The hope is that MatSoc will be not just a society for its own sake, but represent a vital avenue for students passionate about a subject to learn more. Currently the materials department seems to lack the right channels to reach out, and students like Anita, Indigo, and Qaisara are crying out for voices in the field to engage with them. However, the fact that demonstrators are already privately connecting with students and inspiring them is proof that both sides are willing to engage. Could MatSoc be the answer to integrating students with a somewhat alienated department?

For now, Indigo and his team are hard at work — contacting companies, collaborating with other societies, and organising their termcard. Their aim is to be set up for the freshers fair in October, with MatSoc taking its rightful place next to free pizza slices and clay pigeons.