James Cahoon

Dr. James Cahoon serves as Professor of Chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he leads groundbreaking research in semiconductor nanomaterials synthesis. After earning his B.S. in Chemistry from William & Mary in 2003 and Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from UC Berkeley in 2008, he completed postdoctoral work at Harvard University under Charles Lieber before joining UNC in 2011. His research program combines nanomaterials synthesis with physical characterization and computational modeling, following the principle that "morphology encodes function." His work has significant implications for technologies ranging from solar cells to solid-state memory. His scientific excellence has been recognized through numerous prestigious awards, including the Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering (2014), Sloan Research Fellowship (2015), Cottrell Scholar Award (2015), and NSF CAREER Award (2016). Earlier accolades include the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship (2002), NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2004), and ACS Physical Chemistry Division Post-doctoral Research Award (2010). His research has been highly influential, with his publications receiving over 3,900 citations, particularly for his work on nanowire synthesis and solar energy applications