Department of Chemistry at Columbia University, New York
Principal Investigator
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MILAN DELOR
Associate Professor, 2025-
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Assistant Professor, 2019-2025
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Postdoctoral scholar, 2016-2019
Ginsberg group, University of California, Berkeley
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Doctoral Prize Fellow, 2015 and ​PhD Physical Chemistry, 2010-2014
Weinstein group, University of Sheffield
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Milan was born in Nice, France, but grew up on Reunion island in the Indian Ocean, where his primary concerns were scuba-diving, bodyboarding, sailing and trekking. He completed his higher education in the UK, where after a masters in theoretical astrophysics he switched to experimental physical chemistry to study artificial photosynthetic systems using ultrafast infrared spectroscopy. In his PhD, performing experiments in Sheffield and at the Central Laser Facility (Rutherford Appleton Labs), he developed a new approach for predictive quantum control of intramolecular electron transfer in the condensed phase using vibrational excitation. In his postdoctoral years at UC Berkeley, he developed a generalizable interferometric ultrafast microscope capable of tracking energy carriers diffusing through any semiconductor in 3D with few-nm precision and picosecond resolution. He was appointed as Assistant Professor at Columbia University in 2019.
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Honors, Awards, and Professional Positions:
2026 Coblentz Award in Molecular Spectroscopy, Coblentz Society
2026 ACS Energy Subdivision Executive Committee
2025 Award for Ultrafast Spectroscopy, UW-Madison and PhaseTech Spectroscopy
2025 Magomedov-Shcherbinina Research Award and Lecture, University of Rochester
2025 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation
2025 Sloan Research Fellowship, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
2025 NSF CAREER Award, National Science Foundation
2025 JCP early career editorial advisory board member, Journal of Chemical Physics
2022 Beckman Young Investigator Award, Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation
2018 Postdoctoral Leadership Award, Visiting Scholar and Postdoc Affairs, UC Berkeley
2014 Doctoral Prize Fellowship, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
2013 Gold Award for Outstanding Contribution to Society, University of Sheffield
2010 Doctoral Fellowship, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
2010 E.C. Stoner Prize, University of Leeds
Postdoctoral Scholars
2022 - present
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Postdoc, 2021-2022
Dongho Kim group, Yonsei University
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PhD Physical Chemistry, 2015-2021
Dongho Kim group, Yonsei University
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BA Chemistry, 2010-2015
Yonsei University
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Yongseok was born and raised in South Korea. He completed his B.A. and Ph.D. in the department of chemistry at Yonsei university. During his Ph.D., he studied the structure-property relationship of organic systems using time-resolved spectroscopy. Through controlling the intermolecular interaction of molecules and developing instruments, he revealed the mechanism for various excited-state relaxation pathways of perylene diimide (PDI) aggregates. He joined the Delor group in the winter of 2022 and aims to investigate ultrafast nonequilibrium dynamics in strongly correlated materials using ultrafast microscopy. Outside of work, he enjoys visiting art museums and listening to classical music.
CQI Postdoctoral fellow, 2024 - present (Schuck and Delor)
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PhD Materials Science and Engineering, 2019-2024
Co-supervised by Natalie Stingelin and Carlos Silva, Georgia Institute of Technology
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BS Physics, 2013-2018 and BS Electrical Engineering, 2014-2018
Universidad de Costa Rica
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Victoria, originally from Costa Rica, developed a strong interest in materials research during her undergraduate studies. She joined the Materials Science and Engineering Research Center (CICIMA) at Universidad de Costa Rica and spent a summer at Whitesides Research Group at Harvard University. These experiences inspired her to explore emerging materials for optics and photonics, leading her to pursue a Ph.D. at Georgia Tech under the guidance of Prof. Natalie Stingelin and Prof. Carlos Silva. During her doctoral research, she developed fully solution-processed optical microcavities for polariton-based technologies and characterized organic and two-dimensional metal-halide exciton-polaritons in the time domain. Currently, as a Columbia Quantum Initiative Postdoctoral Fellow in the Delor and Schuck Labs, Victoria investigates semiconductors with quantum-confined excitons for nonlinear optics, with emphasis on exploiting their cooperativity and transport properties.
CQI Postdoctoral fellow, 2024 - present (Basov and Delor)
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PhD Applied Physics, 2019-2024
Kono group, Rice University
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BSc Physics, 2014-2018
Nanyang Technological University
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Fuyang grew up in Johor Bahru, the southernmost city in Malaysia. He earned his B.S. degree in Physics from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, in 2018. After graduation, he worked as a project officer at NTU for a year under the guidance of Prof. Baile Zhang, contributing to various projects on free electron radiation and fluid flow invisibility cloaks. During his PhD, Fuyang focused on terahertz time-domain magnetospectroscopy to investigate magnetic properties in quantum materials at extreme conditions and cavity quantum electrodynamics phenomena in solid-state systems. In 2024, he moved to New York as a postdoctoral researcher in the Delor and Basov groups, where he studies polaritons in van der Waals materials through far-field and near-field microscopy. Outside the lab, Fuyang enjoys exploring New York City, particularly its museums and restaurants. Having grown up in a tropical country, he treats adapting to New York’s freezing winter as one of his latest research interests.
2026 - present
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PhD Physics, 2021-2025
Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Universität Hamburg, Germany
MSc Engineering Physics, Micro- & Nano-optics, 2019-2021
Politecnico di Milano, Italy
BSc Engineering Physics, 2016-2019
Politecnico di Milano, Italy
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Agata grew up in northern Italy, between the Dolomites and the Adriatic Sea. She completed her BSc and MSc in the department of Physics at Politecnico di Milano, where she developed her interest for ultrafast science and nonlinear optics. She then moved to Hamburg, Germany for her doctoral studies at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, DESY. During this period, she developed methods in attosecond X-ray spectroscopy to investigate ultrafast charge transfer dynamics in molecules and materials, both with table top sources and at Free-Electron Lasers. She joined the Delor group in January 2026 and aims to investigate exciton and polaritons ultrafast dynamics via scattering microscopy. Outside of work, she enjoys running and she’s looking forward to running the NYC Marathon.
2026 - present
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​PhD Physical Chemistry, 2019–2025
Michael F. Crommie group, University of California, Berkeley
BS Material Chemistry, 2015–2019
Peking University
BS Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, 2016–2019
Peking University
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Ziyi was born and raised in Suzhou, a city near Shanghai in East China. He received his B.S. from Peking University in 2019, double majoring in Material Chemistry and Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. Although he initially trained as a synthetic electrochemist, he developed a strong interest in quantum materials and physical characterization through coursework at Peking University in solid-state physics, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and semiconductor physics, alongside core training in chemistry and materials science. He earned his PhD in Physical Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley under the mentorship of Prof. Michael F. Crommie. During his doctoral research, he combined bottom-up/on-surface synthesis with low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS) to probe and engineer low-energy electronic structure in atomically precise nanomaterials, including graphene nanoribbons and metal–organic frameworks. Ziyi joined the Delor group in January 2026 to study excited-state and nonequilibrium dynamics in quantum materials, linking optical response to microscopic electronic structure through advanced spectroscopy and microscopy. Outside of the lab, he enjoys exploring New York City, listening to progressive rock, and playing action role-playing games.
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Graduate Students
2020 - present
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NSF Graduate Research Fellow
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BS Chemistry, BS Physics, 2016-2020
University of California, Los Angeles
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Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jack spent most of his formative years across the United States, from Orlando, to Philadelphia, to glamorous Fresno. While he always enjoyed science, it wasn’t until freshman year at UCLA where he developed a serious interest (unhealthy obsession) in quantum mechanics and materials science when he discovered that it explained how day-to-day electronics functioned. His curiosity led to research in Sarah Tolbert’s lab, where he synthesized multiferroic nanocrystals for applications in memory devices. His interest in being able to "see" the submicron world led to work in the structural characterization of semiconducting polymers and, eventually, research in Naomi Ginsberg’s UC Berkeley lab on the self-assembly of rubrene spherulites. Jack is excited to return to the East Coast and is looking forward to finding a reliable food truck to fuel his neverending desire for cheap comfort food.
2020 - present
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BS Chemistry, 2016-2020
University of Texas at Austin
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Inki was born in South Korea and hails from Denton, Texas. He became interested in chemistry when he was in high school, and in college he began to enjoy studying physics and math. At UT Austin, he worked with Dr. Sean Roberts to investigate energy transfer from lead sulfide quantum dots to organic molecules using ultrafast spectroscopy. Although a large portion of his research consisted of synthesis and characterization, he particularly enjoyed studying light-matter interactions. Inki likes to watch Netflix in his free time, and he is excited to move to the Big Apple!
2022 - present
BS Chemistry, 2014-2018
MEd Curriculum and Instruction, 2018-2019
University of Maryland, College Park
Andrea has had an affinity for science and art since childhood. She attended the University of Maryland, College Park as a chemistry major. It was there she began her research experience in Dr. John Fourkas’ group, studying the interfacial organization of liquids using vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy under the mentorship of Dr. Amanda Souna. Along with her burgeoning interest in research, Andrea’s passion for teaching led her to become a middle school science teacher for three years, a position which she loved and where she established lasting friendships. She is excited for her time in graduate school at Columbia, and is grateful for the people who have and continue to believe in her. Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor strolls in the park, quality time with friends and family, cooking, knitting, and bookmarking places to eat on Google Maps.
2022 - present
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NSF Graduate Research Fellow
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BS Chemistry, 2018-2022
Bard College
Stuck in the suburbs of Pelham, Alabama, Michelle grew up dancing ballet, attending night sessions at a local photography school, and painting stills to pass the time. Moving to NYC on a whim, she received her A.A. at Bard High School in Manhattan and later, her B.A. in Chemistry near the snowy Catskills of upstate New York at Bard College, where she worked in the Anderson lab to characterize the luminescence of Pt/Ni based complexes. In the Delor group, she uses ultrafast microscopy to study energy transport in semiconducting materials.
2023 - present
BS Chemistry, 2019-2023
University of Chicago
Sarah was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska before moving to Chicago to study chemistry at the University of Chicago. While there, she worked in Professor Sarah King's ultrafast spectroscopy group probing excited state dynamics in 2D TMDs and organic-TMD heterostructures using transient reflectivity. She is thrilled to continue her studies working in the Delor Group at Columbia University. Outside of lab, Sarah enjoys writing, trying new food and caring for her extensive collection of houseplants.
NOAH BUSSELL
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nib2120@columbia.edu
2023 - present
BS Chemical Engineering, 2018-2022
University of California, Berkeley
From San Diego originally, Noah stuck around California to complete his B.S. in chemical engineering, with a minor in city and regional planning, at UC Berkeley. During his undergraduate years, he worked at Lawerence Berkeley National Laboratory with Dr. Jason Cooper on the synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of CO2 reduction reaction photocatalysts. After then spending a year at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne under the supervision of Professor Raffaella Buonsanti to continue research on CO2RR, there in the context of colloidally-synthesized nanocrystal electrocatalysts, Noah is now excited to investigate light-matter interactions and electron transport at a more fundamental level. When not in the lab, Noah enjoys playing soccer, science journalism, and exploring New York City, if not struggling with the lack of sunny weather.
YOON NAH
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yn2452@columbia.edu
2023 - present (joint with Roy lab)
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BS Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, 2016-2019
MS Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, 2019-2021
Ewha Womans University
Yoon was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She completed her bachelor's and master's degrees at Ewha Womans University, where she delved into the fascinating realm of halide perovskites with a particular emphasis on their applications in producing light. With a thirst for broader experiences, Yoon made her way to New York and joined the Delor and Roy labs. Her mission is to bridge the disciplines of physics, chemistry, and engineering in her research. Outside the lab, Yoon takes pleasure in the simple joys of food, particularly those that include raisins, such as oatmeal raisin cookies and cinnamon raisin bagels.
ANDRE KOCH LISTON
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alk2244@columbia.edu
2023 - present (joint with Roy lab)
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BS Chemistry, 2019-2023
Princeton University
Born and raised in Brazil, André majored in Chemistry at Princeton, where he investigated the (in)stability of lanthanide antimony tellurides under Prof. Leslie Schoop. André moved up to New York as a joint student in the Delor and Roy Groups, where he is interested in imaging energy transport in solids to guide material synthesis. Beyond the lab, he obsesses with fixing electronics, biking NYC boroughs, and reading cognitive psychology.
VICENTE GALICIA​
vg2619@columbia.edu
2024 - present
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NSF Graduate Research Fellow
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BS Chemistry, 2020-2024
University of California, San Diego
Vicente was born in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, and made his way to study chemistry at UC San Diego. There he worked in the cleanroom and on 2DIR polaritons under Professor Wei Xiong. Vicente is excited to learn more about solid state physics and transport properties in the Delor Lab. Outside the lab, he enjoys watching terrible horror movies, listening to music, and baseball.
SIMON BLACKHURST
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scb2214@columbia.edu
2024 - present
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BS Chemistry, 2020-2024
Brigham Young University
Raised in the shadow of the Las Vegas Strip, Simon grew up hiking and participating on his school’s quiz bowl team. Following high school, he took two years off to serve as a volunteer in Greece and Cyprus (don’t ask his opinion on Greek food if you’re in a hurry!). He then attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where he researched collisional energy transfer under the direction of Dr. Eric Sevy, a fellow Columbia alum. He graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry and a minor in physics. He is excited to transition from gas-phase to solid-state research in the Delor lab. When not in the lab, he enjoys watching football, playing the piano, and being in nature, though the lack of mountains nearby does still somewhat perturb him.