Former Zernike BSc, Msc, and PhD student Eric Detsi becomes “Stephenson Term Chair Assistant Professor in Materials Science and Engineering” at University of Pennsylvania

Eric Detsi started his scientific career as Bachelor and Master student Applied Physics at our University in the De Hosson group. After his graduation he started a PhD project supervised by Professors Jeff De Hosson and Patrick Onck. In 2012 he successfully defended his thesis “Metallic muscles: enhanced strain and electrolyte-free actuation“ (with honors and highest distinction, cum laude). After a postdoc period in the Zernike Institute’s Materials Science group he moved to the United States as NWO Rubicon Fellow (UCLA) (see below for a short abstract of his proposed work). At August 1st (2016) he will start as “Stephenson Term Chair Assistant Professor in Materials Science and Engineering” at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, one of the top ranked Universities in Materials Science. He was selected from a pool of 486 applicants and will start a new research line on “Energy Materials”. Detsi’s work at the Zernike Institute resulted in 14 peer-reviewed publications published between 2011 and 2016.

NWO Rubicon abstract - Metal solar cells
Dr E. (Eric) Detsi (m), University of Groningen -> University of California Los Angeles, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry (US), 24 months
Cheap and efficient photo-electrochemical cells are important for our future supply of energy. In this project a new type of cell will be developed based on nanoporous metal. This might be cheaper and more efficient than traditional photo-electrochemical cells produced from semiconductors.