A New Generation of Research and Teaching Leaders
The Mork Family Department has recently bolstered its ranks with a raft of new faculty hires whose work spans a wide range of research and teaching areas — from advanced quantum materials, cell biology and confectionery manufacturing, to materials sustainability, electron microscopy and separation technology.
Zhenglu Li
Li, who joined the Mork Family Department in 2023 as an assistant professor, brings a rich background in physics and materials science, pioneering techniques to develop the materials of the future. Li leads the Computational Quantum Materials research group, which uses powerful computational methods to understand how materials will behave at the atomic level. His work focuses on “first-principles” methods — approaches that start with the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics rather than adjustable parameters. These computer-based techniques help explain remarkable material behaviors like superconductivity (materials that conduct electricity with zero resistance) and ultrafast energy transfer (how energy moves through materials in fractions of a second). Li was recently honored with a 2025 National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award — one of the United States’ most prestigious early-career faculty honors.
Wade Zeno
An expert in cell membranes and membrane proteins, Zeno joined the Mork Family Department as an assistant professor of chemical engineering and materials science in 2020. Zeno’s research explores how cell membranes may hold the key to treating some of our most challenging diseases, from Parkinson’s to cancer. Zeno aims to understand the behavior of cell surface molecules, with a particular focus on how the curvature of cell membranes affects protein-lipid interactions. This curvature is essential in allowing the movement of molecules into and throughout the cell. His work has recently been recognized with a USC Provost’s Assistant Professor Fellowship and a prestigious ESI MIRA award from the National Institutes of Health.
Corinne Packard
Packard is a professor of chemical engineering and materials science who joined the department in 2024, bringing extensive expertise in materials sustainability in solar energy, electronics, and aerospace. The Packard Research Group employs advanced manufacturing techniques to enhance material performance in extreme environments, with applications in gas turbines, high temperature applications, satellites, high efficiency solar cells, optics and flexible electronics. Packard’s group is at the forefront of semiconductor fabrication and the development of rare earth ceramics with exceptional mechanical properties. Her work has been honored with a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, a Robert Lansing Hardy Award from the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, among others.
Yu-Tsun Shao
An expert in harnessing powerful electron microscopy techniques to understand materials at an atomic level, Shao joined the Mork Family Department in 2023 as an assistant professor. He describes his imaging work as “like putting on a new pair of glasses, allowing you to see the hidden things that nobody else can see.” His recent research has been centered around developing new ways to understand the properties of nanoscale particle-like objects that can be used to make our next-generation computers. Shao leads the new Shao Electron Microscopy Lab and has an appointment in the Core Center of Excellence in Nano Imaging at USC Viterbi and USC Dornsife. Shao was a 2024 recipient of the Department of Energy’s prestigious Early Career Award.
Jay H. Lee
Lee came to USC Viterbi in 2023 after more than a decade at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), where he served as Associate Vice President of the International Office and Department Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. An expert in the design and operation of energy and chemical systems with emphasis on sustainability, Lee took on the role of Choong Hoon Cho Chair in the Mork Department. Lee’s research harnesses mathematical modeling, optimization, and AI methods to create coherent multi-layer methodologies and algorithms for a range of applications in energy transition and sustainability. His group’s current projects include using machine learning to estimate a battery system’s state of health, and the early-stage evaluation of CO2 capture and conversion technologies.
Eyal Ben-Yoseph
An international industry leader from the confectionery sector, Ben-Yoseph was recently recruited to oversee the Mork Family Department’s popular Confectionery Manufacturing class. Ben-Yoseph is a process development engineer and former science and technology fellow at Mars-Wrigley, where he worked for 24 years developing some of our most beloved candies, including personalized M&Ms. He has led a wide range of industry projects, spanning basic research to the rapid implementation of production lines. His work has resulted in multiple patents and publications in the field of confectionery production.
Luis Francisco Villalobos
Separation technology is the passion of Villalobos, who joined the Mork Department in 2024 as an assistant professor. Imagine coffee filters, a vital part of the morning ritual for many of us, separating our coffee grounds from water to create that caffeine hit we need. Villalobos is developing novel ways to harness this concept at an atomic scale, creating advanced membranes made from energy-efficient materials. Separation technology is at the heart of processes critical to our global future, such as water filtration, removing valuable elements from waste products, and the transition to clean energy. Villalobos has been recently honored with an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award and a North American Membrane Society Young Membrane Scientist Award.