Wei-Shun Chang

Wei-Shun Chang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he leads the Single Particle Imaging and Spectroscopy Group. He joined UMass Dartmouth in 2018 after working as a Research Fellow at Rice University since 2012.

• PhD in Physical Chemistry from University of Texas at Austin (2007)
• MS in Chemistry from National Taiwan University (1998)
• BS in Chemistry from National Taiwan University (1996)

Dr. Chang's research focuses on developing spectroscopic techniques to understand the physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials, particularly in electrocatalysis and photocatalysis of metallic nanostructures and 2D materials. His laboratory utilizes state-of-the-art single particle spectroscopy and microscopy combined with high-resolution electron microscopy to investigate the structural-function relationship of these materials. His work spans plasmonics, metamaterials, chiral optics, and single molecule/particle spectroscopy development.

Dr. Chang has secured significant research funding totaling over $1.45 million from prestigious agencies including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and Office of Naval Research. His research projects include developing high-sensitivity fluorescence imaging techniques to probe bacterial populations in biofilms and exploring novel nanomaterials to suppress biofilm growth as part of the MUST program.

• $151,080 NIH grant for CD spectropolarimeter
• $190,405 NSF grant for chirality matching principle research
• $358,432 ONR grant for UMassD MUST IV project
• $351,682 NSF grant for Single-Molecule Specific Voltammetry
• $399,666 ONR grant for UMassD MUST I project

As an educator, Dr. Chang teaches Physical Chemistry I (CHM 315), Physical Chemical Measurements I (CHM 318), and supervises thesis research (CHM 600). His laboratory provides students with hands-on experience in advanced optical microscopy, catalysis, and nanomaterials research, preparing them for careers in cutting-edge scientific fields.

The Single Particle Imaging and Spectroscopy Group operates from Violette Research Building room 211B, where they develop steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques to investigate collective optical properties of plasmonic nanoparticles, plasmon-mediated chemistry, chiral plasmonics, and plasmon optomechanics.