Malika Jeffries-EL

Malika Jeffries-EL is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Boston University's College of Arts & Sciences, serving as Core Faculty for the Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) and Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. She holds dual expertise in organic semiconductor research and diversity advocacy, focusing on materials for energy, electronics, and health applications. Her work bridges molecular design and device engineering, emphasizing scalable manufacturing of organic semiconductors.

Education:

• PhD in Chemistry, The George Washington University
• MPhil in Chemistry, The George Washington University
• BA in Chemistry, Wellesley College

Research Interests: Her lab develops organic semiconductors that combine polymer processability with semiconductor properties. Key areas include OLEDs, photovoltaics, and sensors. Techniques involve computational modeling, synthetic chemistry, and device fabrication.

Publications & Awards: Over 40 peer-reviewed articles with 4,000+ citations, including influential studies on benzobisoxazole-based materials. Recognitions include the Percy Julian Award (NOBCChE), ACS Rising Star Award, and RSC Fellowship. Recent work explores diversity in STEM and inclusive academic practices.

Grants & Advocacy: Leads the ENERGIZE interdisciplinary graduate program integrating data science in energy materials. Active in ACS diversity initiatives and science communication (e.g., NOVA's Beyond the Elements). Serves as Associate Editor for Journal of Materials Chemistry C and Materials Advances.

Labs & Teams: The Jeffries-EL Research Group emphasizes collaborative, cross-disciplinary projects. Current focus includes machine learning for material prediction and scalable organic electronics manufacturing.