The Department of Chemistry congratulates Associate Professor David Masiello on his promotion to the rank of professor, effective September 16, 2019.
Professor Masiello is a theoretical chemist specializing in developing models to understand the interaction of light with solids—particularly metal surfaces and nanoparticles—characterized by collective excitations known as plasmons. The fundamental science of light manipulation is of specific interest, especially in metamaterials capable of directing light towards desired pathways (e.g., optical-frequency magnetism, spatially-directed thermal patterning, room temperature quantum information processing, enhanced solar-energy conversion). A widely recognized expert in electron spectroscopy, particularly in the area of plasmonics, Professor Masiello has made a number of important breakthroughs to provide theoretical insights where experimental results were not well understood. This is exemplified in his development of theory to explain the results of cutting-edge experiments in electron spectroscopy such as Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy, which offers significant insight into the optical-frequency responses of metallic and semiconducting nanoparticles. His theoretical approaches are being used by the community to direct the design of advanced materials with unprecedented functionalities.
To learn more about Professor Masiello and his research program, please visit his faculty page and his research group website.