Peter Müllner is a Professor in the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering at Boise State University, where he co-leads the Materials Resource Sustainability Nexus (MARESUNEX) with Dr. Stephen Crowley, Professor and Chair of Philosophy. This interdisciplinary initiative fosters collaborations among faculty, students, and community partners to promote sustainable and just materials flows, particularly within Idaho’s rural and mining communities. Since 2012, Müllner has integrated general education content into his engineering courses and co-taught with colleagues from History, Philosophy, Neuroscience, and Psychology in over 30 semester-long collaborations. He is also active in promoting these interdisciplinary efforts through teaching workshops for engineering faculty, encouraging the incorporation of general education principles into technical curricula. Through these activities, he seeks to connect engineering education with broader societal concerns and to inspire students to pursue careers rooted in purpose and community engagement.
Müllner’s research in materials science and engineering focuses on magnetic shape memory alloys, rare-earth-element-free permanent magnets, and twinning mechanisms in a variety of materials. He has authored over 200 scientific publications and 13 patents. His work blends fundamental materials characterization with application-driven innovation. From 2015 to 2022, he co-led Shaw Mountain Technology LLC with Dr. Aaron Smith, a co-inventor of the micropump developed in Müllner’s laboratory. The company was founded to commercialize the magnetic shape memory micropump technology and explore its potential in microfluidic and biomedical applications. The National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, NASA, and other national and regional agencies have funded his research.