Kory Burns

Kory Burns is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Virginia. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Valdosta State University (2017), followed by an M.S. (2020) and Ph.D. (2022) in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida. His research focuses on manipulating atomic configurations in advanced materials using ion, photon, and electron beams, with applications in space exploration, energy sustainability, and defense technologies.

Research Interests:

• Optical excitations in transmission electron microscopy (TEM), including electron energy loss/gain spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence.
• Radiation-solid interactions, covering ion, light, and electron-matter interactions.
• In-situ TEM under extreme conditions and data-driven approaches for material characterization.
• Advanced characterization of quantum nanophotonic systems, including low-temperature luminescence and boson-coupling phenomena.

Awards & Honors:

• MEAD Honored Faculty Award
• NASA Virginia Space Grant Consortium New Investigator Award
• 4-VA Collaborative Research Award
• NAYGN Scholar Award

Labs & Teams:

Burns leads the BEAM (Burns' Electronic and Advanced Materials) Lab, which uses high-energy beams to engineer atomic-scale material modifications. The lab emphasizes machine learning for high-throughput analysis and in-situ TEM to simulate extreme environmental conditions.

Grants & Collaborations:

Active projects include NASA-funded research and partnerships with institutions like Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The lab seeks diverse collaborators to advance atomic-scale engineering and device performance optimization.