Zuocheng Zhang is a new faculty hire at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Department of Physics and Astronomy. After being a postdoc and assistant project scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, Zhang arrived at UNL to begin work as an assistant professor in August of 2024. He teaches PHYS 212H, an introductory physics course for honors students, and is setting up his research laboratory at UNL’s Jorgensen Hall.
“In a word, it’s been busy,” Zhang said. “I’m feeling very supportive, grateful, and positive” about launching his faculty and research career at Nebraska.
Zhang’s hiring was made possible through Nebraska’s Emergent Quantum Materials and Technologies (EQUATE) project, a five-year collaboration funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation for $20 million. The project was secured via coordination by Nebraska EPSCoR (the acronym stands for Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, representing federal efforts to increase geographic diversity across the nation for investments in science, technology, engineering, and math – the STEM fields).
As part of EQUATE’s Focused Research Group (FRG) 1, Zhang is mentored by its leader, Xia Hong. Zhang also appreciates the collegiality extended by FRG1 colleague, Xiaoshan Xu.
“It’s great to join an established research group,” Zhang said. As an experimental physicist, he is excited to work with highly-regarded theoretical physicists, including UNL’s Evgeny Tsymbal. He’s currently working on an experiment to verify predictions by Tsymbal.
Zhang said he values departmental support from UNL Physics and Astronomy; department chair Ken Bloom put Zhang forward to attend a four-day Physics and Astronomy Faculty Teaching Institute, hosted by the American Association of Physics Teachers, American Physical Society, and American Astronomical Society. The cohort continues to meet on Zoom, which extends Zhang’s networking with peers throughout the nation. Zhang is also serving on the department’s graduate student admissions committee, which will help him meet new talent that could join his nascent UNL laboratory.
UNL’s College of Arts and Sciences has extended a seed grant to Zhang, and he’s also glad to be in a Research Development Fellowship Program, led by UNL’s Office of Research. The latter is helping him polish his skills, particularly for pursuing research grants.
While aligning toward funding opportunities, Zhang has measured each square foot of his lab near the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience (NCMN). He praises NCMN’s extensive equipment and network, as he outfits his research space with instruments and students.
Zuocheng Zhang, assistant professor with UNL Physics & Astronomy, began work at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2024 (UNL photo)
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