This MSEC GAANN program is to offer fellowships to graduate students with excellent records who demonstrate financial needs to obtain doctoral degrees in 4 identified fields of national needs. We will integrate our demonstrated strengths in materials processing, property testing, structure sensing, simulation, and artificial intelligence to train future PhD students under a new paradigm, in which ultra-durable materials and structures are realized through AI-guided design, simulation, and evaluation for applications under extreme conditions. The resultant systems will address expansive, pervasive, and persistent problems in wide-ranging applications including space exploration, nuclear energy, built environments, etc. The project involves 5 core faculty members plus 4 other key personnel from 3 dynamically growing departments.