Cathy Wong

Cathy Wong is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Oregon's College of Arts and Sciences, affiliated with the Materials Science Institute and the Oregon Materials Institute (OMI). She leads a research group focused on photovoltaic and optoelectronic materials, particularly those assembled from nanoscale building blocks like quantum dots, organic molecules, and perovskite nanocrystals.

• B.Sc., McMaster University (2004) in Biological Chemistry
• Ph.D., University of Toronto (2011) in Physical Chemistry
• Postdoctoral work at UC Berkeley (2015) under Naomi Ginsberg

Her research investigates how physical arrangements during materials self-assembly alter exciton and carrier behavior. Key areas include photovoltaic materials, optoelectronic properties, nanostructure formation, and in situ spectroscopy during processes like crystallization and chemical bond formation. She pioneered single-shot transient absorption spectrometers for real-time measurement of non-equilibrium systems.

The 15 most recent publications highlight her expertise in perovskite nanocrystal growth, halide segregation dynamics, and organic film self-assembly. These works span physical chemistry, materials science, and ultrafast spectroscopy, with subfields including exciton dynamics, ligand engineering, and photovoltaic stability.

Her lab trains students in advanced techniques while developing instrumentation for time-resolved microscopy and shot-to-shot correction of photoluminescence. She mentors undergraduates and graduate researchers, including award-winning advisees like Zach, Weston, and Logan.