Eleven University of Nebraska–Lincoln professors have been awarded professorships from the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor.
Three faculty members were named Willa Cather/Charles Bessey professors. The professorship was established in 2001 to recognize faculty members with the rank of professor who have established exceptional records of distinguished scholarship or creative activity.
Xia Hong will be Willa Cather professor of physics and astronomy. Her research in the field of experimental condensed matter physics focuses on the intersection of complex oxide thin films, heterostructures, and two-dimensional van der Waals materials, which has influenced the area of semiconductors and small electronics. Her publication record includes top articles in "Nature Communications, Advanced Materials," "ACS Nano," and "Physical Review Letters." She has also amassed significant external funding, including the Department of Energy’s Early Career Award and EPSCoR award, an NSF Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future award, and NSF CAREER award. She is a focused research group leader of NSF-funded center on Emergent Quantum Materials and Technologies and a senior investigator within the UNL Grand Challenges Catalyst Award "Quantum Approaches Addressing Global Threats."
