Principle Investigator
Dr. Ralph Nuzzo
​
Professor Nuzzo received his B.S. degree in chemistry from Rutgers University in 1976 and his Ph.D. degree in Organic Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1980. After completing his graduate studies he accepted a position at Bell Laboratories, then a part of A.T.&T., where he held the title of Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff in Materials Research. He joined the Illinois faculty in 1991.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Dr. Sanjaya Jayalath
Chemistry
​
Sanjaya Jayalath is originally from Sri Lanka and he received his B.Sc. from the University of Kelaniya (Sri Lanka). He received Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Iowa with the guidance of Prof. Vicki Grassian and Prof. Sarah Larsen. He joined the Nuzzo group in 2018 and his current research is focused on the synthesis and characterization of 3D printable liquid crystal elastomers and investigating their potential applications as stimuli-responsive material.
Dr. Michael J. Enright
Chemistry
​
Michael Enright received his A.B. in chemistry from Ripon College in 2014 and his Ph.D in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Washington with the guidance of Professor Brandi Cossairt. He joined the Nuzzo research group in 2019 and is researching the development and implementation of near infrared emitters in luminescent solar concentrators.
​
Graduate Students
Maggie Potter​
5th year doctoral candidate
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
​
Maggie received her BSE in chemical engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2014. She joined the Nuzzo research group in 2017 and is researching the physical behavior of micron-scale Si solar cells and their integration into unique device systems. In her free time, she enjoys sailing, driving across the country, and listening to the Grateful Dead.
​
Chen Wang​
4th year doctoral candidate
Materials Science and Engineering
​
Chen received her B.S. in chemistry from Nanjing University in 2016 with the guidance of Professor Xiqun Jiang. She joined the Nuzzo group in 2016 and is working on 3D printable functional material.
Matthew Kottwitz​
4th year doctoral candidate
Chemistry
​
Matt received his B.S. in chemistry and mathematics from the University of Nebraska in 2015 and researched microfluidic device fabrication with Professor Stephen A. Morin. Matt joined the Nuzzo research group in 2016 and is researching single-atom catalysis. In his free time, he enjoys backpacking and college football.
​
​
Hanxiao Su​
4th year doctoral candidate
Materials Science and Engineering
​
Hanxiao Su received his B. Eng. in Materials Science and Engineering from Tsinghua Univeristy in 2016. He joined the Nuzzo research group in the same year and is working on III-V material fabrication and its application in concentrated photovoltaics.
Undergraduate Students
Rachel Yuan​
Senior
Materials Science
​
Rachel Yuan is pursuing her B.S. in materials science and engineering with a polymers concentration and minor in chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She joined the Nuzzo Research Group in the summer of 2019 to research, synthesize, and 3D print meshes from conductive soft materials to be utilized in the human body to replicate cell signals and free-standing ability.
Brinn McDowell​
Junior
Chemistry​
​
Brinn McDowell is pursuing her BS in chemistry along with a minor in business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She joined the Nuzzo Research Group in January of 2020, and is helping to develop quantum dots to implement into luminescent solar concentrators.
​
Mathilde Hanchard
Sophomore
Chemistry & Community Health
​
Mathilde Hanchard is pursuing her B.S. in Chemistry along with a B.S. in Community Health with a minor in French at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She joined the Nuzzo Research Group in March of 2020 and is helping to synthesize luminescent quantum dots for building integrated photovoltaic technologies.