UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Mingyu Yu, doctoral candidate in materials science and engineering at Penn State, recently received the Graduate Student Research Award from the professional society AVS: Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces and Processing for innovative research in two-dimensional materials.
Yu's research focuses on the key processes needed to grow wafer-scale two-dimensional (2D) materials and precisely control how these layers stack together. By mastering these techniques, she aims to create high-quality 2D materials and structures that can be used to improve optoelectronic devices, such as advanced sensors and displays. Yu said this research could lead to more efficient electronics, greener technology, advanced communication tools, economic growth, and innovations in health care and environmental monitoring.
The AVS Graduate Research Awards were established in 1984 to recognize and encourage excellence in graduate studies in the sciences and technologies of interest to AVS, which was established in 1953 as the American Vacuum Society. Each consists of a cash award, a certificate and reimbursed travel support to attend the society’s international symposium. After advancing through a competitive selection process, Yu was among eight finalists invited to present their research in a virtual interview with the awards committee during the summer. After this interview, she was named one of three recipients of the award.
Yu is part of the Law Group, the lab of Stephanie Law, associate professor of materials science and engineering, which focuses on synthesizing atomically perfect thin films and heterostructures with designer properties to solve problems in energy, optics, quantum information science and nanotechnology.
“Mingyu is a creative, hard-working student who is not afraid to take on new challenges and work on new and diverse topics,” Law said. "She has worked on multiple different interdisciplinary projects with various collaborators. These contributions have been highlighted by a number of awards, including best journal paper awards, the University of Delaware Doctoral Fellowship, Rustum and Della Roy Innovation in Materials Research Award, and, of course, this one, the AVS Graduate Student Award.”