Professor Jun Ouyang Adds Expertise to Seton Hall Physics and Engineering

The College of Arts and Sciences is proud to announce the addition of Assistant Professor Jun Ouyang to the Department of Physics. Ouyang holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park. He earned a B.E. in Materials Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University in Beijing. He brings with him a wealth of academic and industrial experience that significantly enhances the College’s research and instructional profile.

Prior to joining Seton Hall, Ouyang amassed over six years of instructional experience as a Research and Visiting Professor at institutions including Hunter College and the University of Maryland. Internationally, he has held faculty positions in China at Qilu University of Technology and Shandong University, where he also led a research team of six faculty members. In addition to his academic appointments, Ouyang worked in R&D at Seagate Technology, where he developed nanoscale thin film electronic materials and transducing devices.

Ouyang has authored and/co-authored 136 peer-reviewed publications, including articles in prestigious journals such as Nature Communications, Advanced Energy Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Acta Materialia, and Energy Storage Materials. His work has garnered over 3,900 citations, with an h-index of 33 and an i10-index of 87. He has also delivered 145 conference presentations, including 6 keynote and 34 invited talks across 70+ academic events worldwide. His research has been strongly supported through competitive funding. Since 2010, he has served as PI or Co-PI on 39 funded research grants, totaling approximately $3.14 million. He is also an active contributor to innovation, holding 12 patents; six of his patents related to dielectric capacitors have a combined IP valuation of $2.96 million.

As a mentor and educator, Ouyang has supervised nine Ph.D. and 32 M.S. students, with many going on to faculty positions or careers in high-tech industries. During his time at Qilu University of Technology, he led an active research group comprising junior faculty, a research associate, and over 20 graduate students. At Seton Hall, Ouyang aims to leverage his expertise in advanced energy materials, semiconductor devices and integration-friendly fabrication processes to contribute to the College’s growing focus on semiconductor and materials science research. 

In addition to teaching a wide range of courses in physics and engineering at the undergraduate and graduate levels, Ouyang will also work in a new applied physics and engineering research and training laboratory that will study next-generation semiconductor materials and that has been supported by $963,000 in public funding to advance U.S. microchip manufacture capacity and development. Mehmet Alper Sahiner, Ph.D., chair of the Physics Department, said Ouyang will enhance our research efforts in semiconductor materials and devices areas and he will be crucial for our Applied Physics and Engineering programs in both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Ouyang’s arrival is a formative step in strengthening the Master of Science in Applied Physics and Engineering program. He brings a unique synergy of academic depth and industrial application that will benefit both students and the broader research community. The College of Arts and Sciences is now accepting applications for Fall 2025. For more information, interested applicants and potential students are encouraged to reach out to Michael Dooney Ph.D., associate dean of Graduate Affairs ([email protected]) and Jose Lopez, Ph.D., professor of Physics and director, Office of Grants and Research Services, ([email protected]). 

Categories: Education, Research, Science and Technology