Professor Diao named a University Scholar for 2023

The University Scholars Program recognizes outstanding members of the faculty from the entirety of the University of Illinois System. Each awarded  faculty is provided with a funding allocation to enhance their scholarly activities. Professor Diao, has been awarded this title for 2023, representing the prestigious nature of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

University Scholars awards are not made for a specific project or proposal; rather, they represent recognition of the recipient’s consistent excellence throughout their work. Therefore, the awards are made through nominations, not by application. Professor Diao was nominated by the Department Head, Professor Rao, who wanted to recognize her outstanding efforts in both teaching and research.

Since joining the University of Illinois, Professor Diao’s  group has made extensive contributions to literature on understanding and directing polymer assembly for printing functional materials and devices for sustainability. They have elucidated precisely what pathways functional polymers take traversing from the ink solution to a solid state device and had a surprising find of multiple intermediate structures previously unknown.

“These insights enabled us to innovate printing technologies that can “instruct” functional polymers on how to assemble at the molecular, nanoscopic and macroscopic scales during printing,” said Professor Diao.

Such precision printing methods enabled electronic and optical devices that better transport charges, better convert sunlight to electricity, and to engender new properties such as structure color and quantum information processing.

Professor Diao expressed her excitement about being named a University Scholar, “Some of my most revered colleagues have won this award in the past. It feels special and at the same time humbling to be listed amongst them.”

Other Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering professors to have the title of University Scholar are Professor Paul J.A. Kenis, Professor Huimin Zhao, Professor Deborah E, Leckband, Professor Steve Granick, Professor Charles F. Zukoski, and the late Professor Thomas Hanratty. 

Along with the title and recognition, the University will allocate $15,000 per year to Professor Diao for three years to be put towards travel, equipment, research assistants, scholarly materials, or any other resources that will support the continuation and further her research and other scholarly work.

Professor Diao plans to use her scholarship to help support her groups’ explorations of new research directions and new ideas that are too risky for funding applications at their inception.  She hopes that this award will help her to pursue bold ideas and lead to further breakthroughs down the line.