Liang Dong, Vikram L. Dalal Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been named director of the Iowa State University Microelectronics Research Center (MRC).
The MRC is a multi-disciplinary center focusing on the study of semiconductor materials, devices and applications. The research conducted at the MRC includes a range of areas, including photovoltaics, organic electronics, photonic band gap structures, III-V semiconductors, nanomaterials, energy devices, sensors, microelectromechanical systems and biochips.
Dong replaces long-time MRC director, Vikram L. Dalal, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor of Engineering, who is stepping down after leading the MRC for 22 years.
“The MRC will be in extremely capable hands with Liang, who is a talented innovator and leader,” said Dalal. “Liang will connect the right researchers to the right engineering questions to make major strides in microtechnologies.”
“Liang is an outstanding microelectronics researcher, a collaborative colleague, and experienced associate director of the MRC – he’s the perfect person to now lead the MRC,” said Arun Somani, senior associate dean, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor of Engineering, and Philip and Virginia Sproul Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering. “The MRC has made many key discoveries and advancements under Vik’s leadership, and we look forward to future accomplishments with Liang at the helm.”
Dong’s core research areas are agricultural, biomedical and physical sensors, microelectromechanical systems, and biochips. He is a faculty scholar with the ISU Plant Sciences Institute, and currently serves as editor-in-chief of the journal Sensors and Actuators A: Physical.
Dong has received many research awards, including an NSF CAREER award, and has been a plenary or keynote speaker at major conferences in the fields of agriculture, biochips and sensors. Dong has been at Iowa State since 2007 and is co-founder of EnGeniousAg, based in Ames. His appointment to MRC director was effective Dec. 1, 2021.
“I’m humbled and honored to be named as the MRC director,” said Dong. “I look forward to working with my colleagues at the MRC to continue the work of excellence and growth that Dr. Dalal has established. In the next several years, we will be working on making the MRC a premier multi-disciplinary center that innovates smart materials, devices and systems at the micro and nano scale. The goal is to not only provide micro/nanofabrication capacity and expertise to academia and industry but also advanced cutting-edge research in micro and nano technologies.
“Recent advances in micro and nano electronics along with innovations in sensor technologies has opened a vast array of research and development opportunities to improve the human experience,” said Ashfaq Khokhar, Palmer Department Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering. “Vik has done an exceptional job fostering key discoveries during his time as MRC director. Liang has the ideal set of expertise to build on Vik’s successes and lead the MRC in these exciting times.”
