Congratulations to Prof. Lisandro Cunci, University of Puerto Rico and Prof. Alberto de la Torre Duran, Northeastern University on becoming the UEC's newest members. The election is for new members for the upcoming three-year term (2023-2026).
Nominee Information
Prof. Lisandro Cunci, University of Puerto Rico
Dr. Lisandro Cunci is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus in Puerto Rico, after working for 8 years at Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Gurabo Campus, a primarily undergraduate university (PUI). He received his bachelor’s degree in Materials Science Engineering in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2008 where he started doing research on electrochemistry during his last year working in wired and wireless corrosion sensors at Det Norske Veritas (DNV) in Dublin, OH during his engineering thesis under the mentoring of Dr. Sridhar Narasi. He obtained his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry in 2013 at the University of Puerto Rico under the
mentoring of Dr. Carlos Cabrera developing nanomaterials as electrocatalysts for the oxidation of ammonia.
Dr. Cunci has been part of different research and education efforts with federal and state funding from the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health, Department of Education, Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust, among others. He has mentored more than 55 students in research in
Analytical and Instrumental Chemistry thanks to the support obtained from all these funding sources. Dr. Cunci is currently the President-Elect of the Puerto Rico Chapter of the American Chemical Society and will be the President in 2024.
Prof. Alberto de la Torre Duran, Northeastern University
Alberto de la Torre Duran is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Northeastern University. He has been a user of QM2 at CHESS since 2019, where he has performed XRD and REXS experiments in strongly correlated quantum materials. He has also collected data at ALS, NSLS-II, CLS, Diamond, ESRF, PSI, and APS, where he hosts a Guest Research position in the Material Science Department. He is an organizing member of the Virtual Science Forum, a volunteer-run open platform aiming to accommodate the organization of online conferences. He has co-organized the IEE AtC-Atg 2022 and 2023 conferences. Alberto is interested in utilizing ultrafast laser pulses to engineer out-of-equilibrium long-lived phases of matter. By becoming a part of UEC, Alberto aims to promote the complementary capabilities of time-resolved experiments at synchrotrons and free electron lasers. In his group and all of his endeavors, Alberto prioritizes upholding a safe and inclusive work environment for all across the spectrum of identities and life experiences and, if elected, will continue to work with UEC to develop a diverse user community.
Dr. Peijun Guo, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science
My research at CHESS. My lab works on the photophysics and structural dynamics of functional, soft semiconducting materials, such as metal halide perovskites. These materials, with simple and low-cost synthesis, exhibit desirable electronic and optical properties for photovoltaics and optoelectronics. At CHESS, we perform full reciprocal-space mapping of double perovskites at variable temperatures. In these materials, light excitation creates self-trapped excitons, which are essentially small polarons associated with large local lattice deformation by the charge carriers, that in turn alters the bandgap and the energy of emitted photons. By setting up an ultraviolet laser on the QM2 beamline with CHESS scientists, we investigate how the lattice deforms upon light irradiation, aiming to gain insights on the structural underpinning behind the high luminescence yield in these interesting materials.
Motivation for becoming a UEC. As a relatively new user of CHESS, my lab collected important data during our very first visit at CHESS. We were impressed by scientists at CHESS for the support, expertise, and level of engagement with users like us to set up custom experimental conditions. I look forward to better engage with and represent the CHESS community, advocate the resources at CHESS, and find ways to promote and grow the CHESS user base.
UEC Information
The UEC represents the interests of the CHESS user community to CHESS Management and ensures good communications between the CHESS user community and CHESS leadership. The CHESS UEC also participates in organizing the annual CHESS User Meeting. The CHESS UEC bylaws can be found HERE.
If you are interested in being nominated as a candidate for the upcoming UEC election, please submit a brief statement to the CHESS Users office (CHESSUserOffice@Cornell.edu) including one paragraph about your research at CHESS and your motivation for becoming a UEC member. Your statement will be posted on this page prior to the election.
If you would like to nominate a colleague, please provide their name and email contact to the CHESS Users Office (CHESSUserOffice@Cornell.edu) and we will reach out to them regarding their interest in being nominated.
The UEC election begins at the annual CHESS User Meeting and the CHESS community can cast votes between June 6th and June 9th.