9451280 McHenry This project aims to upgrade and modernize the undergraduate laboratories for instruction in materials science and engineering. In particular, the new equipment is used in the development of two new superconductivity laboratory experiments, and also a demonstration with emphasis on producing high temperature oxide superconductors of current interest. The laboratories are structured so as to emphasize synthesis and processing of ceramic materials while demonstrating novel superconducting properties. The laboratory equipment impacts upon the students' ability to synthesize state of the art materials as well as to characterize their structural and superconducting properties.