2023 Spring Faculty

2023-04-03

Writer(s): Steve Scherer

Hanzhe Liu (top photo) joins us as an assistant professor of physical chemistry and Severin Schneebeli is an associate professor of organic chemistry, industrial and physical pharmacy.

Professor Hanzhe Liu is a physical chemist and physicist interested in fundamental light-matter interaction and developing spectroscopic methods to understand chemical dynamics. Hanzhe obtained a B.S. in physics from the University of Science and Technology of China. He then moved to Stanford University and earned a PhD in Physics in 2019. His PhD thesis work focused on solid-state high-harmonic generation in two-dimensional materials and nanophotonics. With a growing interest in chemistry, he conducted postdoctoral research in physical chemistry at Caltech. There Hanzhe used tabletop transient XUV spectroscopy to measure the ultrafast chemical processes in solids. At Purdue, Hanzhe is eager to develop new laser and X-ray techniques to understand the complicated microscopic interactions in quantum materials for optoelectronics and energy storage applications.

Professor Severin Schneebeli earned a PhD degree from Columbia University with Ronald Breslow and Richard Friesner in 2011. He then started his independent career at the University of Vermont in 2014 after postdoctoral studies with Sir Fraser Stoddart at Northwestern University. Severin's research program focuses on developing highly selective and robust molecular receptors and catalysts to advance biotechnology.