Jianqi Xi

Jianqi Xi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with The Grainger College of Engineering. His research focuses on nuclear materials, combining multiscale modeling with experimental techniques to understand material degradation under radiation and corrosive environments. He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (2017). Before joining UIUC, he held postdoctoral and industry positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and ThermoFisher Scientific.

Research Interests:

• Fusion Materials Design
• Radiation-Corrosion Synergy
• Multiscale Modeling of Microstructure Evolution
• Data-Driven Materials Innovation
• Molten Salt Corrosion

Recent publications emphasize atomic-scale mechanisms in silicon carbide (SiC) corrosion, radiation damage mitigation, and advanced ceramics design. His work bridges computational simulations with experimental validation to address challenges in nuclear energy systems. Awards include the Joseph E. Spruiell Award (2017) and recognition as an Outstanding Reviewer (2018).

He leads the Modeling of Nuclear Materials (MNM) Group, focusing on interdisciplinary approaches to accelerate material discovery for next-generation nuclear reactors. Current openings exist for researchers interested in computational materials science and experimental collaborations.