For UChicago Pritzker Molecular Engineering PhD candidate Yan Fang, the hard part wasn’t creating an innovative new approach to positional charge correlations in polyelectrolyte complexes.
It was condensing five years of research into a 10-minute talk.
“All of my past presentations are at least 30 minutes or an hour and up because it’s supposed to epitomize years of research,” she said, laughing.
Fang, of the Tirrell Lab, was awarded the 2024 Frank J. Padden, Jr. Award in March at the American Physical Society’s conference, held this year in Minneapolis. The award, named for the late polymer physicist Frank Padden, recognizes excellence in polymer physics research by PhD candidates at institutions across the nation.
Fang’s primary investigator, D. Gale Johnson Distinguished Service Professor and PME Founding Dean Matthew Tirrell, nominated her for the award.
“Yan is a great representative of the student body of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at UChicago,” Tirrell said. “She is innovative, collaborative and has unique insight into her area of study. She is a deserving candidate for this competitive award.”