Laura de Sousa Oliveira

Laura de Sousa Oliveira is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wyoming, with adjunct appointments in the School of Computing and affiliation with the Nuclear Energy Research Center (NERC). She holds the distinguished title of UW Derecho Professor, recognizing her contributions to interdisciplinary research.

• B.S., 2010, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
• Ph.D., 2017, University of California, Riverside
• Postdoctoral Researcher, 2017–2020, University of Warwick, UK

Her research centers on computational strategies to understand and design inorganic materials. She leverages atomistic and multi-scale modeling to explore structure-property relationships, with a focus on energy sustainability, environmental applications, and next-generation smart materials. Her group emphasizes collaboration between theory and experiment, develops conceptual models, and integrates uncertainty quantification into predictive frameworks.

The Computational Design of Inorganic Materials Lab, which she leads, actively develops software tools and promotes open science. The lab’s work spans semiconductors, nuclear materials, and functional systems for heat management, gas sorption, and sensing. Though no publications or student names are listed, the research program reflects a strong interdisciplinary and impact-driven approach.

She is also engaged in teaching and mentoring, with current efforts including the recruitment of a postdoctoral researcher. Her dual affiliation with chemistry and computing highlights her role at the intersection of physical sciences and computational innovation.