University of Tennessee
Materials Science & Engineering Department


MSE Field Day
Knoxville, TN, April 21, 2026



The Materials Science & Engineering Department held a Field Day open to all members of the MSE community. A lively crew of undergraduate and graduate students, along with staff and faculty attended. The event was hosted by our amazing MSE student ambassadors and their fearless leader, Laurel Harrison, MSE professional advisor.

There were plans for something called spikeball but, despite our best engineering efforts, the well-used rental equipment was judged non-functional.


Not to worry, we turned to pursuits with less complicated material components.


This tug of war pitted upper classmen versus sophomores.


The upper classmen held the advantage in terms of educational knowledge regarding statics and dynamics.


But the sophomores triumphed with sheer pluck.


Keeping the same teams, we turned to the centerpiece of MSE Field Day, kickball. The sophomores kicked first...


while the upperclassmen...


took their positions on the field.


With practiced technique, Luke W. delivered a smooth rolling pitch.


Here we take the opportunity to admire the wide range of forms used in approaching the ball. Tadi demonstrates the key elements of (i) keeping your eye on the ball, (ii) a measured pace and (iii) a smooth swing of the leg.


Not one to hold to convention, Will showed that there were other approaches on display as well.


Ayush showed his own unique posture of appearing to welcome the ball before ejecting it with his foot.


Callie returned to a classic form...


with marked success.


Some athletes, Randi for instance, displayed a certain savoir-faire in dealing with the ball.


Mary, on the other hand, demonstrated an unbridled enthusiasm.


Logan showed off directional control with a turn of the foot.


Chloe handled the ball like a pâtissière flipping over a pastry.


Owen tended to express a disdain for the red sphere daring to cross his path.


Raven, our incredible outreach and recruiting coordinator, was eagerly welcomed by the sophomores to their team. She proved capable of holding her own.


Prof. Keffer, on the other hand, contributed absolutely nothing to the scoreboard. However, his officially-branded UT Undergraduate Research and Fellowships bucket hat elevated the fashion statement of the sophomore team.


The team of upperclassmen also had the opportunity to show off their athletic prowess.


The pitcher for the sophomores, Owen preferred a bouncing delivery.


Luke S. literally kicked things off for his team.


Alfredo, the lone graduate student to participate in kickball, made sure to advertise what the undergraduates could look forward to in graduate school.


Representing the proud legacy of the Scintillation Materials Research Center, Megan booted the ball with gusto.


Tavin made it look all too easy.


Here we have captured Luke W., effortlessly floating in space.


Believe it or not, this was the beginning of John's inside the park home run.


Welcomed by the upperclassmen team, Laurel directed Owen to where she wanted the ball delivered...


...with expert results. Alas, in a close-fought contest, the sophomores prevailed 9-8.


Field day continued with a spoon relay race, in which eggs were replaced by tennis balls owing to the prohibition against food on the TRECS turf field. (Alfredo was off to a rocky start.)


Again, there was a range of techniques on display.


While the others teams had already made the turn, Alfredo played catch up.


Subsequent legs of the relay continued what seemed like a marathon.


If you read some level of exasperation in the expression of Luke S., it is not wholly undeserved.


The winning relay team—all sophomores.


Some students opted to elevate the challenge level with a second spoon race of another type.


The three-legged race followed.


This event builds trust in a cohort, because if one teammate falls, both fall.


And to be sure, some fell, resorting even to crawling on turf to reach the finish line.


The second qualifying heat provided no less entertainment than the first.


These proud pairs of students had mastered the team work skills to make it to the final heat.


Champions of the three-legged race. Alfredo redeemed his underwhelming performance with the spoons!


MSE Field Day is always a fun event. We had a good turn-out due to the combined efforts of Laurel and Raven. Thank you both very much.


Thanks also to the students who set aside time from their studies to make the event a success.


We all had a good time. Thanks to everyone who works to make the University of Tennessee Materials Science & Engineering Department a special community to call home.

More photos on the Keffer research group site.