Yonathan Shapir

Professor Yonathan Shapir is a full Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Michigan, with a joint appointment in Chemical Engineering. Since his arrival in 1985, he has advanced from Assistant Professor to full Professor, pursuing theoretical condensed-matter physics and statistical mechanics.

Education:

• B.Sc. in Physics, Tel-Aviv University (1971)
• Ph.D. in Physics, Tel-Aviv University (1981)

Research Interests:

Professor Shapir’s work centers on understanding complex disordered systems through statistical mechanics. His investigations encompass critical phenomena in spin-glasses and random-field systems, classical and quantum transport in dirty metals leading to the metal-insulator transition, polymer statistics, fractal properties of percolation clusters, and kinetic models of surface growth and aggregation. These themes are unified by a deep interest in scaling laws, universality, and the emergent geometry of random media.

Publication Trends:

Between 2001 and 2010, his articles reveal a concentrated effort on diffusion in dynamically disordered environments, scaling behavior of growing surfaces, and the morphology of organic thin films such as pentacene. Earlier work (1996–2000) explored critical dynamics of dendrimers, surface growth on disordered substrates, and transitions in crystalline roughness. The breadth spans from fundamental statistical-physics questions to applications in materials science and organic electronics.

Scientific Awards:

• Fulbright Award (1981)
• Bourse Joliot-Curie (1982)
• Visiting Compton Fellowship at the Technion (1989–1990)

Advising & Grants:

No explicit lists of students or current funding are provided in the material; however, his extensive publication record with numerous co-authors suggests active mentoring and collaboration. Future directions likely continue along the interface of statistical mechanics and nanoscale materials.

Labs & Teams:

While no specific laboratory names are given, Professor Shapir’s joint appointment implies active participation in both the Physics Department and the Chemical Engineering program, fostering interdisciplinary teams working on materials growth, transport phenomena, and computational statistical physics.