Mendoza LabQuantum Simulations and AI Lab

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Physics and Astronomy
Michigan State University

Reasons to come to MSU

Reasons to do your graduate study or postdoc at Michigan State University, written for students and postdocs who are thinking about joining the Mendoza Lab. Every fact has a source, and every ranking and statistic gives the year it refers to.

23 reasons; facts and sources checked on Oct 22, 2026.

Research

  1. A top-100 research university

    Times Higher Education's World University Rankings 2027 place MSU 93rd among 2,297 institutions in 118 countries and territories, roughly the top 4%. MSU is also one of the 71 members of the Association of American Universities (AAU).

    Sources

    1. Times Higher Education, Michigan State University (World University Rankings 2027 profile).
    2. Times Higher Education, World University Rankings 2027.
    3. Association of American Universities, Our Members.

  2. Nearly $1 billion a year in research

    MSU spent a record $992.3 million on research in fiscal year 2025, 6.5% more than in 2024. In the National Science Foundation's survey of university research spending for fiscal year 2024, MSU's $931.8 million ranked 38th among U.S. universities and 22nd among public ones.

    Sources

    1. MSUToday, Michigan State University, MSU nears $1B in research expenditures, driving global impact (Feb 16, 2026).
    2. National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, U.S. National Science Foundation, Table 13. Higher education R&D expenditures at institutions in the standard form survey population, ranked by FY 2024 R&D expenditures: FYs 2010-24 (NSF 26-304) (Dec 23, 2025).
    3. National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, U.S. National Science Foundation, Table 20. Higher education R&D expenditures at public institutions in the standard form survey population, ranked by all R&D expenditures, by source of funds: FY 2024 (NSF 26-304) (Dec 23, 2025).

  3. A national nuclear-science facility on campus

    MSU operates the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), one of the 28 user facilities of the Department of Energy's Office of Science. Since user operations began in May 2022, FRIB has supported 1,108 participants, 340 of them students, from 188 institutions and companies, and it employs 131 graduate students and 83 undergraduates. FRIB's October 2026 fact sheet says MSU awards 15% of U.S. nuclear physics Ph.D.s, and in fiscal year 2024 MSU ranked first among U.S. universities in research funded by the Department of Energy, with $157.8 million. Our own group works on heavy elements and nuclear-waste separation.

    Sources

    1. Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, Michigan State University, FRIB Quick Facts (October 2026) (October 2026).
    2. Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, Michigan State University, History of FRIB (October 2026) (October 2026).
    3. National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, U.S. National Science Foundation, Table 18. Federally financed higher education R&D expenditures at institutions in the standard form survey population, ranked by all federal R&D expenditures, by federal agency: FY 2024 (NSF 26-304) (Dec 23, 2025).

  4. Free supercomputing with current GPUs

    MSU's Institute for Cyber-Enabled Research (ICER) gives MSU researchers free access to its high-performance computing cluster, with storage, training and consulting. In January 2026 the cluster had about 71,000 CPU cores and 288 GPUs, including NVIDIA H200, L40S, A100 and V100 nodes, and 4,743 active users. Hardware added in 2025 doubled the cluster's throughput compared with 2020.

    Sources

    1. Institute for Cyber-Enabled Research (ICER), Michigan State University, ICER info brochure (January 2026) (January 2026).
    2. ICER User Documentation, Michigan State University, The HPCC's GPU Resources.
    3. MSUToday, Michigan State University, MSU's supercomputer celebrates 20 years of accelerating research (May 8, 2025).

  5. Computational science across campus

    MSU's Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering (CMSE) treats computation as a discipline of its own, linking algorithms, high-performance computing and data science. Besides its own Ph.D., CMSE offers a dual Ph.D. with other programs, an M.S. in Data Science, and graduate certificates in computational modeling and in high-performance computing. In Times Higher Education's 2026 subject rankings, MSU placed 81st in computer science and tied for 93rd in the physical sciences.

    Sources

    1. Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, Graduate Programs with CMSE.
    2. Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, Dual Ph.D. in Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering.
    3. Times Higher Education, Michigan State University (subject rankings 2026).

  6. Quantum science and a quantum startup

    MSU has a Center for Quantum Computing, Science and Engineering (MSU-Q), and in 2022 it formed the Midwest Quantum Collaboratory with Purdue University and the University of Michigan to train the quantum workforce and develop quantum technologies. In October 2025 physicists Johannes Pollanen, associate director of MSU-Q, and Jaideep Singh were named to the Moore Foundation's 2025 cohort of Experimental Physics Investigators, each with a five-year, $1.3 million grant. EeroQ, a quantum-computing company co-founded by Pollanen that uses electrons floating on superfluid helium as qubits, was named MSU's 2025 Startup of the Year.

    Sources

    1. Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, Michigan State University, Moore Foundation invests in MSU research on quantum science and fundamental physics (Oct 9, 2025).
    2. MSUToday, Michigan State University, MSU forms quantum alliance with Purdue and University of Michigan (Jan 6, 2022).
    3. MSU Innovation Center, Michigan State University, EeroQ Named The 2025 MSU Startup Of The Year (Apr 30, 2025).

  7. Diamond semiconductors, with Fraunhofer next door

    Fraunhofer USA Center Midwest, whose Coatings and Diamond Technologies Division is in East Lansing, has worked with MSU on research and student training since 2003. In September 2026 MSU announced a $20 million National Science Foundation grant for IDiCaRS, a shared-use 'diamond foundry' for electronics that must tolerate radiation, heat and electrical stress, combining diamond growth, device fabrication and radiation testing with heavy-ion beams at FRIB. A separate $3 million NSF grant, announced in February 2026, uses artificial intelligence to grow high-quality diamond with Fraunhofer USA.

    Sources

    1. Fraunhofer USA Center Midwest, About (Fraunhofer USA Center Midwest CMW).
    2. College of Engineering, Michigan State University, Building for the future of space and semiconductors (Sep 24, 2026).
    3. MSUToday, Michigan State University, AI is a lab diamond's best friend for semiconductors (Feb 20, 2026).

  8. New and established research centers

    In August 2026 the National Science Foundation awarded MSU $30 million for TEMPEST, a Science and Technology Center that combines theory, computation, experiments and artificial intelligence to understand, predict and eventually control turbulence, with partners including Georgia Tech, Yale, the University of Rochester and three national laboratories. It is one of 11 research centers and institutes in the College of Engineering, alongside the Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, the Composite Vehicle Research Center and the DOE-funded Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. TEMPEST will move into the Leinweber Center for Engineering and Digital Innovation, a new building scheduled to open in 2028.

    Sources

    1. TEMPEST Science and Technology Center, Michigan State University, MSU receives $30M NSF grant to establish turbulence research center (Aug 26, 2026).
    2. College of Engineering, Michigan State University, Research Centers and Institutes.
    3. College of Engineering, Michigan State University, College of Engineering (home page).

  9. One department, two disciplines, and a real choice of advisor

    CHEMS runs both the chemical engineering and the materials science and engineering programs, with B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in each, so courses and projects cross the two fields. New Ph.D. students choose their advisor in September and October of their first year: faculty present their projects, students meet the faculty whose projects interest them and submit their top five choices, and a committee matches students and advisors based on those preferences and on available funding.

    Sources

    1. College of Engineering, Michigan State University, Majors, Degrees and Programs (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science).
    2. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, ChEMS Graduate Studies Handbook (Graduate Handbook web page).

  10. Top-ranked graduate programs

    In U.S. News & World Report's 2026-27 Best Graduate Schools, 10 MSU graduate programs are in the top 10 and three are No. 1 (all in education), and biosystems and agricultural engineering is No. 8. MSU's nuclear physics graduate program was No. 1 in the 2023 edition, published in March 2022, the most recent ranking of that specialty we could confirm.

    Sources

    1. MSUToday, Michigan State University, 3 graduate programs are No. 1, 10 in top 10 by US News & World Report (Apr 7, 2026).
    2. Michigan State University, MSU Facts (U.S. News & World Report rankings).
    3. Office of Research and Innovation, Michigan State University, MSU Graduate Programs Ranked Highly by U.S. News & World Report (Mar 29, 2022).

Funding and support

  1. Funded Ph.D. study with tuition and health insurance

    The graduate handbook of our home department, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (CHEMS), says the department strives to support all of its Ph.D. students with a fellowship or a research or teaching assistantship, for up to five years and as long as they make satisfactory progress. Assistantships include a tuition waiver, fees and health insurance. For 2026-27, MSU's minimum stipend for a half-time research assistant at level 1 is $1,028 every two weeks ($1,162 for a teaching assistant), and the Graduate School funds travel to present research at conferences.

    Sources

    1. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, ChEMS Graduate Studies Handbook (Graduate Handbook web page).
    2. MSU Human Resources, Michigan State University, Stipend Ranges and SI Charges (2025-26 and 2026-27 graduate assistant stipend ranges).
    3. The Graduate School, Michigan State University, Travel Funding.

  2. A union contract and benefits for graduate assistants

    Teaching assistants at MSU are represented by the Graduate Employees Union (AFT Local 6196). Its contract, which runs to May 15, 2028, sets the minimum half-time Level 1 teaching-assistant stipend at $1,162 every two weeks in 2026-27 and $1,197 in 2027-28; MSU pays the whole health-insurance premium for employee-only coverage (90% for employee plus one), waives university fees and gives up to eight weeks of parental leave, the first four paid. All graduate assistants are enrolled in the MSU Graduate Assistant Health Plan, with dental and vision plans for them and their dependents.

    Sources

    1. MSU Human Resources, Michigan State University, Graduate Employees Union Contract, 2024-2028.
    2. Graduate Employees Union, Local 6196, AFT-MI, AFL-CIO, The Contract (GEU-MSU Contract 2024-2028, minimum stipends).
    3. MSU Human Resources, Michigan State University, Graduate Assistants (health, dental and vision plans).

  3. Your stipend goes further

    The Bureau of Economic Analysis's regional price parities for 2024 put prices in the Lansing-East Lansing area at 95.0% of the U.S. average, compared with 108.3% in the Boston area and 110.4% in the San Jose area. The same goods and services cost about 14% more around Boston and about 16% more around San Jose than around MSU.

    Sources

    1. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Regional Price Parities: All Items for Lansing-East Lansing, MI (MSA) (RPPALL29620) (Feb 20, 2026).
    2. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Regional Price Parities: All Items for Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (MSA) (RPPALL14460) (Feb 20, 2026).
    3. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Regional Price Parities: All Items for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (MSA) (RPPALL41940) (Feb 20, 2026).

  4. Help for international students and scholars

    MSU's Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) serves international students, scholars, employees and their families with immigration and regulatory guidance, advising and programs. Its website covers orientation for F-1 and J-1 students and J-1 scholars, visa and immigration matters for students, scholars and H-1B employees, and programs such as Coffee Hour and the Global Festival. Community Volunteers for International Programs runs a weekly International Spouse Connection for spouses and partners of MSU students, along with an International Friendship Program, volunteer English tutoring and an International Student Lending Center.

    Sources

    1. Office for International Students and Scholars, Michigan State University, About (Office for International Students and Scholars).
    2. Office for International Students and Scholars, Michigan State University, Office for International Students and Scholars (home page).
    3. Community Volunteers for International Programs, Michigan State University, International Spouse Connection.

  5. Support for student parents and families

    On campus, 1855 Place offers one- and two-bedroom family apartments. MSU's Student Parent Resource Center helps with the cost of child care: the federally funded Spartan Kids Child Care Grant provides 1,200 hours of care per child per year for domestic graduate students, and the Council of Graduate Students awards $500 to $1,000 a semester to graduate students who apply for the MSU Child Care Grant but are not eligible for it. The spouse and children of a graduate assistant can use six free counseling sessions through MSU's Employee Assistance Program.

    Sources

    1. Student Parent Resource Center, Michigan State University, Housing (on-campus family housing).
    2. Student Parent Resource Center, Michigan State University, Spartan Kids Child Care Grant.
    3. The Graduate School, Michigan State University, Spouse and Family Resources.

Careers

  1. Michigan's engineering economy

    In the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 estimates, architecture and engineering occupations made up 4.0% of all jobs in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro area, more than twice the national share of 1.7%. In the May 2023 state estimates, Michigan had the highest concentration of architecture and engineering jobs of any state, 29.0 per 1,000 jobs or 126,220 in all, and Midland, Michigan, had the highest concentration of chemical engineers of any U.S. metropolitan area, about 40 times the national concentration.

    Sources

    1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Midwest Information Office, Occupational Employment and Wages in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn - May 2025 (Jul 15, 2026).
    2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Architecture and Engineering Occupations (Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023).
    3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Chemical Engineers (Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023).

  2. Help turning research into companies

    The MSU Innovation Center helps researchers with patents, licensing, industry partnerships and startups. Its 2025 annual report lists 198 invention disclosures, 44 license or option agreements and 63 U.S. patents issued, and a record number of startups based on faculty innovations; Red Cedar Ventures, the venture arm of the MSU Research Foundation, invests in new companies. One example is Great Lakes Crystal Technologies, an East Lansing startup founded in 2019 on MSU research, which makes semiconductor-grade diamond substrates.

    Sources

    1. MSU Innovation Center, Michigan State University, About (MSU Innovation Center).
    2. MSU Innovation Center, Michigan State University, 2025 MSU Innovation Center Annual Report.
    3. College of Engineering, Michigan State University, Great Lakes Crystal Technologies: Advancing diamond tech for next-gen electronics (Aug 3, 2026).

Life in East Lansing and Michigan

  1. A large, international Big Ten campus

    MSU enrolled 50,941 students in fall 2026, from all 50 states and 127 countries, including 3,785 international students (7.4%) and 6,809 degree-seeking master's and doctoral students. MSU is one of the 18 research universities of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, and 314,800 of its alumni live in Michigan.

    Sources

    1. Institutional Research, Michigan State University, Fall Semester 2026 Enrollment Report (Sep 25, 2026).
    2. Big Ten Academic Alliance, Our Members.
    3. Michigan State University, MSU Facts.

  2. Getting around, and getting away

    CATA runs eight free-fare bus routes on campus, with more than 100 stops serving university apartments, residence halls, commuter lots and main campus buildings, plus on-demand Lot Link and Night Owl rides late at night and early in the morning. Michigan Flyer motorcoaches make 14 daily round trips between East Lansing and Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and Lansing's Capital Region International Airport has nonstop flights to Detroit, Chicago O'Hare, Washington National, Orlando and Fort Myers.

    Sources

    1. Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA), Michigan State University (MSU transportation program).
    2. Michigan Flyer, Schedule & Route.
    3. Capital Region Airport Authority, Capital Region International Airport (LAN) (home page).

  3. Great Lakes living, with trains to Chicago

    Michigan touches four of the five Great Lakes and has the longest freshwater coastline in the United States. Niche's 2026 rankings put neighboring Okemos first among 804 places to live in Michigan, and Amtrak's Blue Water train stops in East Lansing on its way between Chicago and Port Huron.

    Sources

    1. Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Coastal management.
    2. Niche, Okemos, MI (Niche 2026 Best Places to Live rankings).
    3. Amtrak, Michigan Services Train.

  4. Four real seasons and room to explore

    Michigan has 10,899 inland lakes of five acres or more and 52,053 miles of streams, and its Department of Natural Resources says you are never more than a half-hour from one of its 103 state parks. In a normal year Lansing gets about 50 inches of snow but only about nine days of 90°F or hotter, and the state maintains more than 6,200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails.

    Sources

    1. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Natural resources at a glance.
    2. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, State parks.
    3. National Weather Service, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Lansing Climate Summary for the Year of 2024 (annual climate summary, with normals) (Jan 1, 2025).

  5. Gardens, art and performances on campus

    MSU's W. J. Beal Botanical Garden, established in 1873, is described by MSU as the oldest continuously operated university botanical garden in the United States; it holds more than 2,000 plants from around the world and recently earned accreditation from Botanic Gardens Conservation International. The Broad Art Museum, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid and opened in 2012, focuses on contemporary art and is always free. The Wharton Center for Performing Arts on campus presents Broadway shows, theatre and other live events in its Cobb Great Hall and Pasant Theatre.

    Sources

    1. MSU Innovation Center, Michigan State University, Beal Garden earns prestigious international accreditation (Nov 11, 2025).
    2. Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan State University, About (MSU Broad Art Museum).
    3. Wharton Center for Performing Arts, Michigan State University, Wharton Center for Performing Arts (home page).

  6. A campus working toward climate neutrality

    Solar carports over five of MSU's largest commuter parking lots cover 5,000 parking spaces and can deliver 10.5 megawatts at peak, about 15 million kilowatt-hours a year. MSU has cut its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30% since its 2012 Energy Transition Plan, and its strategic plan aims to halve emissions from the 2010 baseline and to reach climate neutrality by 2050. In Times Higher Education's Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, MSU placed 80th overall and 10th for sustainable cities and communities.

    Sources

    1. Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, Michigan State University, Energy Generation.
    2. Michigan State University, Stewardship and Sustainability (MSU 2030 strategic plan).
    3. Times Higher Education, Michigan State University (Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026).

See the campus

MSU in Motion, a campus video by MSU Alumni and Friends.

See the campus in autumn, winter, spring and summer, browse the campus photo slideshow, and read how to join the lab.