People

Pinshane Y. Huang is an Associate Professor and Racheff Faculty Scholar in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is also the Associate Director of the Materials Research Laboratory at UIUC. Pinshane holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. in Applied and Engineering Physics from Cornell University, as well as a B.A, in Physics from Carleton College. Her research has been featured in Nova, National Geographic, BusinessWeek, CBS News, Discover Magazine, and the Guinness Book of World Records. Link to CV.

Research Awards

Teaching Awards

  • Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2024)
  • Rose Award for Teaching Excellence (2023)
  • Grainger College of Engineering Teaching Excellence Award (2021)
  • Illinois Student Government Teaching Excellence Award (2018-2019)
  • List of Teachers Ranked As Excellent by Their Students for MSE 481: Introduction to Transmission Electron Microscopy (multiple years)
  • List of Teachers Ranked As Excellent by Their Students for MSE 182: Introduction to Materials Science (multiple years)

Post-Docs

Yichao Zhang is a post-doctoral researcher in the MatSE department. Yichao holds a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Minnesota. Her thesis focuses on "Nanoscale Coherent-Acoustic-Phonon Dynamics in Molybdenum Disulfide Using Ultrafast Electron Microscopy". Yichao's current research explores 2D heterostructures using atomic-resolution imaging and electron ptychography.
Office: MRL/Supercon 3012
E-mail: ychzhang@illinois.edu

Yichao Zhang

Graduate Students

Sang Hyun (Justin) Bae is a PhD student in the MatSE department. Sang Hyun holds a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.
Joined in Fall 2018.
Office: MRL Supercon 3012
E-mail: shbae2@illinois.edu

Justin Bae

Jeffrey Huang is a PhD student in the MatSE department. Jeffrey holds a BS in Applied Physics from Cornell University. His research uses selected area electron diffraction and 4D-STEM to study antiferromagnetic materials.
Joined in Fall 2019.
Office: MRL/Supercon 3012
E-mail: jhuan100@illinois.edu

Jeffrey Huang

Gillian Nolan is a PhD student in the MatSE department. Gillian holds a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. Her research explores the intersection between materials simulation and atomic-resolution imaging.
Joined in Fall 2020.
Office: MRL/Supercon 3013
E-mail: gnolan2 at illinois dot edu

Gillian Nolan

Rahim Raja is a PhD student in the MatSE department. Rahim holds a BS in Molecular Engineering and BA in Physics from University of Chicago. He uses 4D STEM, ultra-fast electron microscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy to study the unique properties of 2D interfaces.
Joined in Fall 2022.
Office: MRL/Supercon 3012
E-mail: rahimr2@illinois.edu

Rahim Raja

Zachary Martin is a PhD student in the MatSE department. Zach holds a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University. His research unites 4D STEM and materials simulation to explore strain in 2D material systems.
Joined in Spring 2022.
Office: MRL/Supercon 3013
E-mail: zmartin3@illinois.edu

Zachary Martin

Div Chamria is a PhD student in the MatSE department. Div holds a BA in Physics and Chemistry from Colgate University. His research focuses on using techniques such as 4D-STEM and electron energy loss spectroscopy to study photo-ionic materials.
Joined in Fall 2023.
Office: MRL/Supercon 3012
E-mail: chamria2@illinois.edu

Div Chamria

Anna Li is a PhD student in the MatSE department. Anna hold a BS in Materials Science & Engineering from University of California, Berkeley.
Joined in Fall 2024.
Office: MRL/Supercon 3013
E-mail: annali3@illinois.edu

“Anna

Katie Cauffiel is a PhD student in the MatSE department. Katie holds a BS in Materials Science & Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Joined in Fall 2024.
Office: MRL/Supercon 3013
E-mail: kc92@illinois.edu

Katie Cauffiel

Alumni

Post-doctoral researcher

Dr. Kayla Nguyen - Ph.D.
Present: Assistant Professor, University of Oregon

Kayla Nguyen

Graduate

Dr. Priti Kharel - Ph.D. in Chemistry, 2024
Dissertation: Angstrom-Scale Imaging of 2D Molecular Materials Via Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy and Ptychography
Present: Application Scientist at Thermo Fischer Scientific

“Priti

Dr. Chia-Hao Lee - Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, 2023
Dissertation: Characterizing the heterogeneity of 2D Materials with Transmission Electron Microscopy and Machine Learning
Present: Post-doctoral researcher at Cornell University

Chia-Hao Lee

Dr. Edmund Han - Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, 2022
Dissertation: Atomic-scale studies of bending in two-dimensional materials using transmission electron microscopy
Present: Senior Engineer at Seagate Technology

Edmund Han

Dr. Blanka Janicek - Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, 2021
Dissertation: Probing small organic molecules at the angstrom-scale in the scanning transmission electron microscope
Present: Post-doctoral researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Blanka Janicek

Chuqiao (Joe) Shi - M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, 2020
Present: Ph.D. student at Rice University

Chuqiao Shi

Undergraduate

Patrick Carmichael - Class of 2024, Materials Science and Engineering
Present: Ph.D. at The University of Texas at Austin

Amanda Loutris - Class of 2022, Materials Science and Engineering

Rachel Lawless - Class of 2020, Materials Science and Engineering
Present: Ph.D. student at Georgia Institute of Technology

Jane Park - Class of 2020, Materials Science and Engineering
Present: Ph.D. student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Shunya Namiki - Class of 2020, Materials Science and Engineering
Present: Process Engineer, TSMC