If you are interested and qualified for any of the below opportunities, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Jun Xu: junxu@udel.edu
Postdoc Opening
--Hold a Ph.D. degree from a reputable university with research background in either solid mechanics, electrochemistry, material science or thermal within the past 5 years.
--Have a good publication record, i.e., publish at least 3 peer-reviewed journal papers on reputable journals (first author or corresponding authors)
--Have a good experience with federal government or industry funded research project
--Responsive, responsible and reliable.
1 positions are open until filled (updated: 08/2025)
Ph.D. Student Opening
--Hold a M.S. or B.S. degree from a reputable university with education background in either solid mechanics, electrochemistry, material science or thermal.
--Have a good GPA (3.5+/4.0) or ranking
--Solid foundation in Math, Mechanics, Physics or Chemistry
--Responsive, responsible and reliable
--Ambitious to be first-class researcher
--All Ph.D. students will be fully funded/sponsored.
2 positions will be open until filled (updated: 11/2025)
Q&A for Recruitment and Collaboration
First of all, if you're now reading this section, it indicates that you are interested in working with me. I highly appreciate it.
Generally speaking, I will hire at least 1 Ph.D. student per year (~5-6 Ph.D. students) and also ensure we have 1-2 postdocs in the group. We do not proactively hire M.S. students, as my understanding of M.S. degrees is more toward professional training or temporary positions toward a Ph.D. (but you are welcome to discuss on a case-by-case basis).
I hope that you are interested in my group because you are passionate about electrochemo-mechanics problems in energy storage systems, and we share some mutual interests. I have received multiple emails every week asking to join as Ph.D. students, and I would like to organize a Q&A to answer their questions based on my own experience and deep thoughts. Some of my comments/answers can be REALLY HARSH, and please feel free to turn around right away after reading them. This Q & A list can help you in your future career, whether you choose to join us or not.
Q: What is your research interest?
A: Research interests can change over time for both professors and students. However, core expertise and technical knowledge cannot be easily changed, as they are the result of decades of work. My expertise is electrochemo-mechanics modeling and characterization with a focus on battery safety, durability, and manufacturing. So please read at least 5 papers in my publication and see if you feel good about them.
Q: What are your requirments for me to work with you?
A: You have to have solid math, phyiscs, solid mechanics and heat transfer knowledge. A good score in your undergrad/grad studies in the related courses can prove that. Only publications in related electrochemistry and mechanics will be a plus (publications in other areas, such as grid energy management, material synthesis, structural design is out of my scope), and I also accept students without any prior publication experience.
Q: I am a senior student in my college with no publications, can I still join?
A: Yes of course. I prefer to hire Ph.D. students without an M.S., even without a publication. However, for such cases, you need to prove that you are from a prestigious university (e.g., QS Top 200 University) with excellent GPAs.
Q: I do not have any previous training in the courses that you mentioned above but I am a quick learner, can I be your Ph.D. student?
A: No.
Q: I haven't heard of you previously, but I have found that your research is interesting, can I be your Ph.D. student?
A: No. If it is the first time that you hear of me, you are unfamiliar with the related area.
Q: I hear that Assistant Professors are often "pushy" and tenured professors are often "relaxed", how about you?
A: No one gets a Ph.D. degree without working hard. If you are concerned about this topic, I start to wonder if you are really ready for a Ph.D. journey. Long story short, the majority of my previous Ph.D. students still choose to stay in this highly competitive academia, indicating that they like the experiences and expertise gained during their Ph.D. journey in my group.
Q: I see a large portion of your Ph.D.s become professors, but I plan to have my own startups after my Ph.D., can I still join your group?
A: Of course. I provide my full support to each student with various goals. The bottom line is that no matter what, you should be an independent researcher upon your Ph.D. graduation.
Q: I see a large portion of your Ph.D.s become professors but I plan to have my own startups after Ph.D., can I still join your group?
A: Of course. I provide my full support to each student with various goals. The bottom line is that you should be an independent researcher upon your Ph.D. graduation.
Q: Do you accept visiting students/scholars?
A: Yes. But we only have very limited seats for visitors.
Undergrad Research Opportunities
--UD undergraduate student research program. UD has designed a bundle of research opportunities and please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you would like to conduct research in my lab: https://www.urp.udel.edu/
--Undergrad Research Assistant. Our group strives to give you first-hand experience of research work and inspire your fond in science and engineering research!
--Usually, we will take no more than 3 undergraduates every year due to my energy and time limitation.
K-12 EASY Opportunities
Hello all K-12ers! In EMSLab at UD, we are proud to provide a program named "Energy Accelerator Study Yard (EASY)". We highly encourage K-12 students who are interested in STEM contact us for possible involvement.
--Half day group tour. For any elementary students, please ask your teacher to contact us. We can give you an introductory tour to renewable energy or basic science and engineering.
--Individual summer research internship. For any 10th/11th grade high schoolers, please send us your CV and we will have a brief interview. All accepted students will be offered a 2-3 month research internship in EMSLab. We accept students from all states of the nation!
--Please kindly note that due to the high volume of requests and limited resources in our lab, our internship positions are usually highly selective. Preferences will be given to minorities/underrepresented groups and STEM fans with decent GPA.
K-12 Research Intern List at EMSLab
2025 Summer: Ms. Zimo Wang, Newark Charter High School, Newark, DE.
2024 Summer: Ms. Lilliana Xu, Sanford School, Hockessin, DE.
2024 Summer: Mr. Nathan Zeng, Dover-Sherborn High School, Dover, MA.
Northeastern University (2025 Fall, CS/ChemE) (EA/ED)
2024 Summer: Mr. Adithya Gireesh, Newark Charter High School, Newark, DE.
Georgia Institute of Technology (2025 Fall, ME) (received offers from Univ. Michigan, Univ. Delaware (Honors College), and Duke as well)
2024 Summer: Mr. Ryan Wang, Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH.
2023 Summer: Mr. Tim Zhang, Lake Norman Charter School, Huntersville, NC.
Northwestern University (2024 Fall, ME) (EA/ED)
2022-2023 Summer: Mr. Jason Li, Highland School of Technology, Gastonia, NC.
UNC Chapel Hill (2024 Fall, CS) (received offers from NC State as well)