We are delighted to welcome Yi Deng to the Gagliardi Group!
Yi recently earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Peking University (2025). During his time there, he worked with Prof. Chen Li on the analytic structure of wave functions, uncovering a factorized form of the ground state and developing a ladder-operator approach for excited states using supersymmetric quantum mechanics.
Welcome Yi—we are thrilled to have you on board!
We are delighted to share that Dr. Hilal Daglar will be joining UL Research Institutes as she embarks on the next chapter of her professional journey. This new role is a testament to Hilal’s dedication, expertise, and the enthusiasm she has brought to her research and collaborations during her time with us.
We recently came together to celebrate Hilal’s accomplishments and to wish her well in this exciting new endeavor. It was a moving occasion, an opportunity to reflect on her many contributions, her thoughtful approach to science, and the positive spirit she brought to every project and discussion.
Hilal’s transition to UL Research Institutes marks a wonderful step forward, and while we will greatly miss her presence and insight, we are eager to see the impact she will continue to make in her new role.
Congratulations, Hilal! Best of luck as you take on this exciting next adventure!
We are thrilled to congratulate Helen and Younghwan on successfully passing their candidacy exams. Their commitment and effort have led to this well-earned achievement.
Best wishes to both as they continue making great strides in their research!
This year, the Gagliardi Group gathered at Timber Ridge Lodge in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, for a retreat bursting with energy, fresh ideas, and nonstop fun. We dove into big-picture brainstorming, sparked new collaborations, exchanged bold ideas, and leveled up with hands-on Machine Learning training that pushed our skills to the next level.
And when it was time to recharge? We went all in—painting masterpieces, testing our aim in archery, hiking scenic trails, splashing into the pool, and unwinding at the spa.
From laughter and creativity to breakthroughs and bold plans, this retreat was the ultimate mix of innovation and play. We left inspired, connected, and more excited than ever for the year ahead!
We’re thrilled to celebrate the success of the 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Catalysts and Advanced Materials for Environmental Solutions (SURF-CAMES) symposium!
This year’s fellows — Azeem Currah (Anderson group), Eva Devlin (Wuttig group), Caroline Hou (Wuttig group), Maya Martinez (Gagliardi group), Srimaye Peddinti (Anderson group), and Ashok Tate (Wuttig group) — shared their outstanding research with the community, marking an exciting conclusion to the first year of this summer program.
A special thank you to their mentors, who supported and guided these talented students throughout the summer — and joined them in the celebration (pictured).
We’re incredibly proud of our SURF-CAMES fellows and look forward to seeing their continued growth and contributions to science.
Liping Liu earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 2025, where he was recognized with the Outstanding Graduate Research Award. He completed his Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering at Xi’an Jiaotong University in 2018, graduating as an Outstanding Graduate and receiving the Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award.
Liping brings valuable research experience from his internship at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), where he worked with Dr. Jin Qian, as well as numerous distinctions, including the Richard J. Kokes Travel Award (NAM29, 2025), CRE Travel Award (AIChE Annual Conference, 2024), CATL ChemCatBio Travel Award (ACS Fall Meeting, 2023), and Co-first Student Poster Award (SECS 2022 Annual Symposium).
We are thrilled to welcome Liping and look forward to the expertise and innovative perspective he will contribute to the Gagliardi Group!
Graduate student Joanna Wang led a hands-on tutorial for first-year graduate students on performing quantum chemistry calculations using a quantum computer.
We are proud to share that Dr. Lac Ha Nguyen will be joining Tennessee Tech University as an Assistant Professor of Inorganic Chemistry this fall. This new role is a well-earned step forward, and we’re excited to see where this path leads him.
Lac Ha has been a steady and thoughtful presence in the Gagliardi Group—bringing clarity to complex problems, a deep commitment to his work, and a drive that consistently moved projects ahead. Whether tackling challenging research questions or supporting those around him, he led by example and made a real mark on the group’s culture and progress.
As he takes this next step into a faculty position, we have no doubt he will bring the same care, curiosity, and integrity to his teaching and research. His future students and colleagues are lucky to have him.
Thank you, Lac Ha, for everything you have contributed. We will miss you—and we look forward to seeing all that you accomplish in this next chapter. Congratulations!
We also took the opportunity to celebrate another exciting milestone: the publication of Younghwan Kim’s first paper—congratulations, Younghwan!
The Gagliardi Group and the inaugural SURF-CAMES (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Catalysts and Advanced Materials for Environmental Solutions) fellows came together for a summer outing aboard the First Lady Chicago Architecture Tour.
The event offered a relaxed setting for students, researchers, and principal investigators to connect, enjoy the city’s architectural beauty, and strengthen community ties beyond the lab. It was a meaningful opportunity to foster new relationships and celebrate the spirit of collaborative science.
We’re excited to announce that Dr. Ruhee D’Cunha will be joining Millikin University in Decatur, IL, as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry this August. This opportunity marks a new chapter in her career and reflects the dedication, talent, and enthusiasm she brought to her work during her time with us.
Last week, we came together to celebrate Ruhee’s accomplishments and send her off with a warm and heartfelt farewell. It was a chance to reflect on her many contributions to the group—her thoughtful approach to science, her supportive presence, and the curiosity she brought to every discussion.
Ruhee’s transition to a faculty position is an exciting and well-earned milestone. While we’ll certainly miss having her around, we look forward to seeing the great things she’ll do in her new role.
Congratulations again, Ruhee—and best of luck on this next adventure!