Eugene V Colla

Eugene V Colla is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with The Grainger College of Engineering. His research focuses on disordered ferroelectric materials (relaxors), dielectric properties of nanoscale objects, and phase transitions in materials like PMN, PMN-PT, and PLZT. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles on ferroelectric aging, dielectric relaxation, and nanomaterial behavior.

Teaching highlights include the Doug and Judy Davis Award for Excellence in Teaching Undergraduate Physics (2015). He has consistently ranked as an outstanding instructor for PHYS 403 (Modern Experimental Physics) across over 30 semesters since 2003. His courses emphasize hands-on lab experiences adapted for online formats.

Key research themes include aging mechanisms in relaxors, Coulomb barriers in nanocapacitors, and superlattice ordering in PMN-PT crystals. Recent work explores energy storage efficiency in graphene-based systems and metastable states in nanomaterials.

• Awards: Doug and Judy Davis Award (2015)
• Teaching Excellence: 20+ semesters ranked 'Outstanding Teacher' for PHYS 403
• Research Focus: Ferroelectric dynamics, nanomaterials, and dielectric properties