Vivian Ferry

Vivian Ferry serves as Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota, where her research program investigates light-nanostructure interactions for sustainable energy applications. Her work bridges fundamental optical phenomena with practical device development in photovoltaics and optoelectronics.

Her research focuses on controlling light propagation in subwavelength dimensions through tailored nanoscale geometry and dielectric environments. Key interests include plasmonic materials, colloidal nanoparticles, and metamaterials for solar energy conversion, with current projects targeting solar cell efficiency improvements and chiral material design. The group employs interdisciplinary approaches combining experimental synthesis (colloidal chemistry, nanofabrication), optical characterization, and computational modeling to develop functional nanophotonic systems.

Professor Ferry's scientific contributions have been recognized with:

• SPIE Early Career Achievement Award (2019)
• Marion Milligan Mason Award (2019)
• APS Ovshinsky Fellowship in Sustainable Energy (2018)
• McKnight Land-Grant Assistant Professorship (2017)
• Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35 (2016)
• NSF CAREER Award (2016)
• AFOSR Young Investigator Program award (2016)

She mentors a dynamic research group with current graduate students Sri Aashrita Boddu, Clare Froehlich, Kristine Loh, Ayaka Moriyama, Maya Ramamurthy, and Barath Tirumuruhan, alongside numerous past graduates now in industry and academia. Her research is supported by grants from NSF, AFOSR, ACS PRF, and industry partnerships. The Ferry Group maintains active collaborations with the Leighton, Stoerzinger, Ellison, Francis, and Kortshagen research teams, and participates in outreach initiatives including ASM Camp and DiscoverSTEM programs.

The research group operates as a highly interdisciplinary hub where physicists, chemists, and engineers develop nanostructures through bottom-up/top-down synthesis methods, characterize optical properties using advanced spectroscopy, and integrate findings into functional devices. Their work environment emphasizes collaborative problem-solving and translational research for sustainable energy solutions.