Four faculty members received Research and Creative Achievement—Professional Promise Awards at the 2016 Chancellor’s Honors Awards. The honorees are Monica Black, associate professor of history; Shawn Campagna, associate professor of chemistry; Sarah Colby, associate professor of nutrition; and Gong Gu, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Gu is a prodigious researcher whose h-index—27 for the Web of Science—already exceeds the average in his field. His primary interest lies in the heterostructures of two-dimensional materials. Published in the journal Science in 2014 and cited sixty-eight times, his landmark study in this area examines how the concept of heteroepitaxy in 3-D semiconductors can be extended to two dimensions, resulting in a one-dimensional interface. Gu’s other research interests include photovoltaics and organic electronics. For this work, Gu and his student, S. Das, were featured on the cover page of the journal Nanoscale. He is known for his open-mindedness, perseverance, and leadership in the discipline.