Ilias Perakis is Professor and Chair of Physics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he leads transformative research in quantum materials and ultrafast phenomena. An OSA Fellow and NSF CAREER awardee, he holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois and has held postdoctoral positions at Rutgers University and Bell Laboratories. His research focuses on theoretical condensed matter physics , using quantum many-body theory to model laser-driven superconductors, magnetic systems, and topological materials. Key interests include: Ultrafast optical manipulation of quantum states Terahertz coherence control Multi-dimensional spectroscopy for material design Perakis has restructured UAB's physics curriculum into five career-focused tracks and co-launched Project RAISE to broaden STEMM participation through digital education. His department received the 2023 APS Award for Improving Undergraduate Physics Education for innovative student training. Honors include the NSF CAREER Award and recognition by the Optical Society of America. His research group actively collaborates with national labs on grand-challenge problems in quantum information science.











