Appointment:
2024–:
"Blackwood Jr. Faculty Fellow", Professor of Chemistry
Professor of Chemical Engineering
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Affiliated to Nanoscience Program, Academy of Integrated Science
Affiliated to Macromolecules Innovation Institute (MII)
Affiliated to Center for Soft Matter and Biological Physics (CSMB)
Affiliated to Virginia Tech Center for Sustainable Nanotechnolgoy (VTSuN),
Virginia Tech
2020–2024:
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Virginia Tech
Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering
2014–2020:
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Virginia Tech
Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering
Education:
2011–2014: Postdoctoral Fellow - Chemistry, Northwestern University (Dr. Chad A. Mirkin)
2005–2011: PhD - Chemical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Dr. Paul F. Nealey)
2001–2005: Bachelor of Engineering - Chemical Engineering, ‘Chu Kochen’ Honors College, Zhejiang University (China)
Honors and Awards:
Senior Member, National Academy of Inventors (2025)
Inaugural Advisory Board, RSC Applied Polymers (2024)
CAPA distinguished Faculty Award (2024)
Commercialization Champions Award, Virginia Tech (2023)
Research and Innovation Excellence Recognition, Virginia Tech (2022)
John C. Schug Research Award (2020)
Springer Nature Applied Sciences – Editorial Board Member (2020-)
Molecular Systems Design & Engineering – Emerging Investigator (2020)
ACS Applied Polymer Materials – Emerging Investigator (2020)
Polymer Chemistry – Emerging Investigator (2020)
Blackwood Junior Faculty Fellowship, 2019-
Advisory Board Member, Polymer Chemistry, 2019-
Journal of Materials Chemistry – Emerging Investigator (2019)
Macromolecular Rapid Communications – Young Talent (2018)
American Chemical Society (ACS) PMSE Young Investigator (2018)
American Chemical Society (ACS) PRF Doctoral New Investigator (DNI) Award (2018)
National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award (2018-2023)
Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Young Investigator Program (YIP) Award (2017-2020)
Virginia Tech Inventor of Month (July 2017)
Faculty Champion of the Virginia Tech-HBCU Research Summit (2017, 2018)
ICTAS Diversity and Inclusion Award, Virginia Tech (2017)
Junior Faculty Award, Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science, Virginia Tech (2015)
Assistant Professor Mentoring Award, Office of the Vice President and Provost, Virginia Tech (2015)
Professional Service:
Editorial Board Member of Springer Nature Applied Sciences (2020-)
Advisory Board Member of Polymer Chemistry (2019-), RSC Applied Polymers (2024-)
Journal Reviewer for Science, Science Advances, Nature, Nature Synthesis, Nature Sustainability, Nature Chemistry, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Chemical Engineering, Nature Communications, JACS, Angewandte Chemie, Chemical Science, etc.
Proposal Panelist for DOE-Brookhaven National Lab, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Israeli Natinal Science Foundation, Swiss National Science Foundation
Fellowship reviewer for Swedish Wallenberg Fellow of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences