Early Recognition

Science and Technology @ UCSB

Talk about an honor.For his outstanding work in the field of 2D electronics early in his career, UC Santa Barbara graduate student researcher Jiahao Kang has received a prestigious student fellowship from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Kang is only the second student from UCSB to receive the annual IEEE Electron Devices Society Ph.D. Student Fellowship Award in its 15-year history — and the only one from the Americas for this round.
“I am thrilled to receive this recognition from IEEE, and more so since it is the second time that a student from our group has won this highly competitive award,” said Kang. “I owe my success to the stimulating research environment in our group and to my advisor, Professor Kaustav Banerjee. I would like to thank him for his vision, mentorship and inspiration.”
Two-dimensional electronics emphasizes the electronic properties of materials — such as graphene — that are only a single atom thick. It is an emerging field of research that is notable because of the interesting new physics that emerges in two dimensions and the potential for discoveries and applications that can be derived from such materials.
“Jiahao’s doctoral research is focused on 2D materials, which is perhaps one of the most promising electronic material groups that can potentially replace conventional materials such as silicon and can revolutionize future generations of electronics, photonics and bioelectronics,” said Banerjee, a professor of electrical and computer engineering in UCSB’s College of Engineering.
A leader in the field of nanoelectronics, Banerjee is internationally recognized for his pioneering work on energy-efficient electronics. Kang joined Banerjee’s Nanoelectronics Research Lab in 2010 as a dual M.S./Ph.D. student after completing his bachelor of engineering degree in microelectronics at Tsinghua University in China.
According to Banerjee, Kang’s doctoral work spans fundamental materials physics, including the physics of contacts ...

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