Dongyue Liang

Can you give me a brief timeline of how your career led you to UIS?

I came to the United States in 2015 to pursue a Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I worked in the lab of Professor Qiang Cui. During the later years of my Ph.D. studies, I spent time at Boston University.

In 2021, I returned to the Midwest for my first postdoctoral position with Professor Juan de Pablo at the University of Chicago. After completing that appointment, I joined Professor Alex Mironenko’s lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a postdoctoral researcher in 2024.

Throughout graduate school and my postdoctoral research, my work has focused on computational chemistry and chemical engineering, using computational modeling to study chemistry problems. I’ve also enjoyed mentoring students in computational research, including graduate, undergraduate and high school students. I was looking for an opportunity to continue growing as a researcher while expanding my experience in teaching and mentorship, when I found UIS.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Soccer has been one of my biggest hobbies since I was a kid. I played regularly — not seriously or competitively, just for fun — while living in Madison and Chicago. I also follow the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

Outside of soccer, I enjoy simulation games. I own most of the downloadable content for The Sims 4.

What type of research do you do?

My research focuses on computational chemistry, particularly the study of interfaces where different phases of matter — such as solids and liquids — meet. My previous research has examined nanomaterial-biological interfaces, ceramic-polymer interfaces in solid-state batteries and interfaces in catalytic systems.

Understanding the chemistry at these interfaces can help address challenges in areas such as biology, the environment and the development of new materials. Because these systems involve multiple phases and operate across different scales of time and space, they can be challenging to model — but that also makes the research particularly rewarding.