Leonid V. Zhigilei

Leonid V. Zhigilei is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Virginia's School of Engineering and Applied Science. He serves as an academic advisor for MSE and is involved in Virginia Engineering Online Program. His research focuses on multiscale modeling of materials behavior, nanomaterials, laser-materials interactions, and surface science. He holds a B.S. from St. Petersburg State Technical University (1987), a Ph.D. from St. Petersburg State University and Tomsk State University (1991), and completed a postdoc at Penn State University (1995-2000).

Research interests include computational materials science, catalysis, and nanomanufacturing. His work combines atomistic simulations with experimental insights to explore phenomena like phase explosions, nanoparticle formation, and thermal transport in advanced materials. Key grants include NSF-funded studies on laser-induced phase transitions and nanoparticle processing.

• Awards: Humboldt Research Award (2021), Fojtik-Henglein Prize (2021), NSF CAREER Award (2004)
• Courses Taught: MSE 3050, MSE 4592/6270, MSE 6020
• Labs/Teams: Computational Materials Group

Recent publications (2021–2025) investigate laser-driven material transformations, thermal conductivity in carbon nanotubes, and nanofiber mechanics. His work bridges computational modeling with practical applications in energy-efficient nanoparticle synthesis and advanced manufacturing.