Frank Y. Gao

Frank Y. Gao will join the University of Wisconsin–Madison as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry in August 2026. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Physics from the University of Toronto (2015) and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2021).

His research focuses on leveraging light as an active agent to manipulate material properties. Key areas include:

• Designing ultra-short light pulses in visible, infrared, and terahertz regimes
• Enhancing energy transport in solar cells and optoelectronic devices
• Investigating ultrafast light-initiated reactions for solar fuel production

His work aims to suppress disorder in energy carriers and reveal microscopic mechanisms for sustainable catalysis. He has been recognized as a Texas Quantum Institute Postdoctoral Fellow.