Seung Sae Hong Receives 2025 Outstanding Faculty Award
Seung Sae Hong, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of California, Davis, has received the 2025 College of Engineering's Outstanding Junior Faculty Award.
The award recognizes an early-career faculty member who has displayed excellence in research and teaching.
As an emerging leader in 2D quantum materials, Hong's research focuses on freestanding oxide membranes and their heterostructures that exhibit a variety of electronic, magnetic and quantum properties. Such exotic materials have potential for quantum computing and energy-efficient electronics beyond conventional computing devices.
Hong's research program investigates the relationships between the synthesis, structure and properties of 2D oxide materials. By combining atomically precise synthesis of thin films, advanced electron microscopy and quantum property measurements, his research group seeks to translate emergent electromagnetic phenomena into novel applications in electronics and energy technology. His research initiatives have been supported by multiple grants, including an NSF CAREER Award, an Advancing Scientific Careers in Nuclear Technology Faculty Award and UC Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives.
Since joining the College of Engineering faculty in 2020, Hong has served as an educator and mentor, participating in many outreach programs, including UC Davis MESA and NSF MPS-High. He also created a new lab course on sustainable energy materials and is currently developing a new Master of Engineering program focused on renewable energy technologies.
Hong earned his Bachelor of Science in physics from Seoul National University, Korea, and a Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford University.