MRS Postdoctoral Awards

MRS Postdoctoral Award Recipients

• Tian Li, University of Maryland (2020 MRS Spring Meeting)

  “For the innovative and pioneering research in wood nanotechnology and nanocellulose toward energy, water and sustainability”
  

  Tian Li is currently a post-doctoral researcher with Professor Liangbing Hu at the University of Maryland. Li obtained her bachelor’s degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China. She obtained her PhD degree in the area of electrophysics and non-linear optics in the Department of Electrical Engineering at University of Maryland, where her research focused on the experimental and theoretical studies aimed at establishing a fundamental understanding of the electrical and optical processes governing the operation of quantum dot solar cells. During postdoc, she has focused her research on emerging cellulose science and engineering and high temperature thermoelectrics. As the leading author, she has published in Science, Nature Materials, Nature Energy, and Science Advances, among others. She has received many accolades, including the ECE Distinguished Dissertation Award, Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award, and Forbes 30 under 30 in energy category.
  

  
  
• Xianwen Mao, Cornell University  (2020 MRS Spring Meeting)

  “For developing fabrication strategies and operando imaging techniques for nanoscale electrochemical materials systems important for environmental and energy applications”
  

  Xianwen Mao obtained his BS degree in Polymer Materials and Engineering from Tsinghua University, China. He then came to Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue his graduate study, and obtained his PhD degree in Chemical Engineering with T. Alan Hatton and Gregory C. Rutledge. His PhD work is focused on molecular engineering of polymer materials with tunable catalytic and adsorptive properties for sustainability technologies. He is currently a postdoctoral associate with Peng Chen in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell University, working on developing single-molecule/particle operando imaging techniques for visualizing fundamental catalytic and adsorptive processes related to important energy and environmental applications, including water decontamination, water splitting, and artificial photosynthesis.
  

  
  
• Rachel E. Carter, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (2019 MRS Fall Meeting)
  “For contributions to the design of safe battery materials and systems, leadership of students and advocacy for women scientists and engineers” 
  
  

   

  
  
• Yasutaka Nagaoka, Brown University (2019 MRS Fall Meeting)
  “For contributions to the assembly of nanocrystal superstructures” 
  
  

   

   

  
  
• Kaifu Bian, Sandia National Laboratories (2019 MRS Spring Meeting)
  “For advancing the understanding of nanoparticle assemblies under stress” 
  
  

   

   

  
  
• Nicholas E. Jackson, Argonne National Laboratory (2019 MRS Spring Meeting)
  "For foundational theoretical and computational contributions to the study of structure and transport in charged polymers and organic semiconductors” 
  
  
  

   
  

  
  
• James Bullock, University of California, Berkeley (2018 MRS Fall Meeting)

  “For the development of dopant-free, selective contacts for high-efficiency Si photovoltaics ”

   

   
  

  
  
• Minah Lee, Stanford University (2018 MRS Fall Meeting)

  “For the development of sustainable organic materials to achieve high-performance energy storage devices and understanding their redox mechanisms ”

   

   

  
  
• Arnab Banerjee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (2018 MRS Spring Meeting)

  “For groundbreaking experiments providing evidence of topological excitations in a two-dimensional magnet, moving toward lossless qubits in quantum computing ”

   

   

  
  
• Jie Xu, Stanford University (2018 MRS Spring Meeting)

  “For applying polymer physics concepts to realize integrated, intrinsically stretchable transistors for skin electronics”

   

   

  
  
• Michael Saliba, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) (2017 MRS Fall Meeting)

  “For developing a family of stable, reproducible and highly efficient multi-cation perovskites for optoelectronics.”

   

   

  
  
• Jieun Yang, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (2017 MRS Fall Meeting)

  

   “For creative research in chemically exfoliated 2D materials and tireless dedication to mentoring women in science and engineering.” 
  

   

   

  
  
• Bert Conings, Hasselt University (2017 MRS Spring Meeting)

  “For innovation in hybrid perovskite photovoltaics, addressing fabrication, lifetime, and toxicity issues”  
  

   

   

  
  
• Yunlong Zi, Georgia Institute of Technology (2017 MRS Spring Meeting)

  "For pioneering research to improve the efficiency and wider applicability of mechanical energy harvesting systems” 

   

   
  
  
• Qi Li, The Pennsylvania State University, and Yongming Sun, Stanford University (2016 MRS Fall Meeting)

  Qi Li, The Pennsylvania State University
  “For advancing the field of polymer nanocomposites for electrical energy storage and conversion.” 
  
  
  
  

  
  

  ---

  Yongming Sun, Stanford University
  “For advancing the development of high-capacity battery materials.” 
  
  

   

  
  
• Babak Anasori, Drexel University (2016 MRS Spring Meeting)
  “For innovative research on 2D materials, creative and artistic ways of presenting science, dedication to and love of teaching, and student mentoring.”
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
• Shinbuhm Lee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (2016 MRS Spring Meeting)
  “For the innovative development of multifunctional ionic devices via vertically aligned heterostructures, and outstanding contributions for theoretical and experimental understanding of them.”
  
   
  
  
  
• Jiamian Hu, The Pennsylvania State University (2015 MRS Fall Meeting)
  “For pioneering contributions to the theoretical understanding of strain-mediated electric-field-induced magnetization switching in magnetoelectric nanostructures and for designing prototypes of magnetoelectric devices”
  
   
  
  
  
  
• Beata Layla Mehdi, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (2015 MRS Fall Meeting)
  “For advances in in situ transmission electron microscopy instrumentation for electrochemical studies and quantitative understanding of nanoscale processes taking place in energy storage systems”
  
  
   
  
  
  
• Dustin Janes, The University of Texas at Austin (2015 MRS Spring Meeting)
  “For outstanding theoretical and experimental contributions to understanding transport in polymer films and membranes and novel nano- and micro-patterning methodologies, and his dedicated mentorship of graduate and undergraduate student researchers”
  
  
   
  
  
  
• Chao Wang, Stanford University (2014 MRS Fall Meeting)
  “For innovative research developing self-healing electronic materials and utilizing the self-healing concept to achieve high-performance, long lifetime electronic and energy storage devices”
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Jonathan Rivnay, École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Étienne (2014 MRS Fall Meeting)

  “For the development of state-of-the-art organic electronic devices for interfacing with biology, through the elucidation of structure versus electrical properties relationships”