Jeff Sakamoto

Jeff Sakamoto is a Professor holding the Mehrabian Chancellor's Chair at the University of California, Santa Barbara in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials. He maintains a dual affiliation as Professor across three departments at the University of Michigan (Mechanical Engineering; Materials Science and Engineering; Macromolecular Science and Engineering) and serves as Director of the DOE Energy Frontier Research Center: Mechano-chemical Understanding of Solid Ion Conductors (MUSIC).

His interdisciplinary research integrates materials science, electrochemistry, and solid-state mechanics to address energy storage challenges. Primary investigations focus on mechano-electrochemical phenomena in solid-state batteries, ceramic ion conductors, and hydrogels, targeting applications in electric vehicles and grid storage. Research emphasizes electrochemical behavior (ionic conductivity, stability), mechanical properties (fracture, creep), and microstructure-property relationships in advanced materials.

• Fellow, Electrochemical Society (ECS)
• Fellow, Kavli Frontiers of Science
• Major Space Act Award, NASA Inventions and Contributions Board
• Teacher-Scholar Award, Michigan State University

He leads the Sakamoto Group, conducting fundamental and applied research on solid-state battery commercialization through national/international collaborations spanning materials science, chemical engineering, and computational modeling. As MUSIC EFRC Director, he oversees research advancing solid-state battery technology for sustainable transportation.