Baylor Chemistry Alum Recognized For Outstanding Contribution

by Judy Long

Baylor University chemistry graduate Julia Y. Chan, an assistant professor of chemistry at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, will receive the 2004 ExxonMobil Faculty Fellowship Award in Solid State Chemistry at the fall American Chemical Society (ACS) national meeting in Philadelphia.
The award, administered by the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry and made possible by a grant from ExxonMobil Research & Engineering, recognizes significant contributions to solid-state chemistry by junior faculty members at U.S. institutions.
After receiving her bachelor's degree from Baylor in 1993, Chan pursued doctoral studies at University of California at Davis, which she followed with postdoctoral research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. She joined the chemistry faculty at LSU in 2000.
Chan's research focuses on the crystal growth and characterization of new intermetallic phases. She has investigated the magnetic properties of numerous new heavy fermion materials and discovered a new highly anisotropic layered material that exhibits a 100-fold linear increase in resistance between 0 and 45 T.
Chan's research in materials science -- the study of synthesis, structure and properties of new materials -- has led her, in collaboration with LSU physicists, to develop two new superconductors since arriving in Baton Rouge two years ago. Her lab work has focused on growing her own crystals and studying their complex structures with the aim to make new compounds for use in information technology.
In 2002, the American Chemical Society recognized Chan as one of 12 outstanding women in the field of chemistry, and the National Science Foundation awarded her a $500,000 NSF Career Grant.