Huang joins chemical engineering department
Dr. Mantao Huang is appointed as a new assistant professor with research focused on electrochemical materials, solid-state ionics and devices for neuromorphic computing.
Dr. Mantao Huang
In January, Dr. Mantao Huang was named one of the newest professors in Texas A&M University’s chemical engineering department.
Huang received his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering and completed his postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
“Texas A&M is the ideal place for me,” he said. “The department has a diverse portfolio that is very relevant to my research. I am excited about the opportunity to collaborate within the university and broadly with industrial partners.”
Huang’s research centers around dynamically tuning material properties using solid-state ionics and electrochemistry, with additional research in devices for neuromorphic computing and electronic, optical and spintronic devices.
As Huang begins his time in the department, he is looking towards the future with the hopes of gaining exposure in multiple fields in order to push the boundaries of his interdisciplinary research.
“The basic idea is to shuttle ions into or out of materials, and we do this by applying electrical stimuli such as voltage or current,” Huang said. “By doing this, we can dynamically change their properties in real time.”
Huang believes that with the semiconductor industry growing substantially, his research could have real-world applications to enable these materials to adapt to the current environment.
“This research is very exciting because the materials and processes can be compatible with semiconductor fabrication, which means that they can be readily integrated into chips,” Huang said. “This enables us to make smaller devices down to the nanometer scale.”
Huang hopes to provide his current and future students with high-quality teaching so they may develop the scientific skills needed to succeed in their careers.
“I would like to empower my students to be able to take the lead and to shape the direction of the research,” he said. “Hopefully, they can develop strong communication and technical skills. I would like the students to have their own curiosity and motivation to be able to push the boundaries of science.”
