Smalyukh

2025 BEaRS Workshop

Daniel Morton — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 22:38:29 +0000

2025 BEaRS Workshop Daniel Morton Mon, 07/21/2025 - 16:38

Daniel Morton

The 2025 BEaRS Workshop brought together researchers from across the front range (and beyond, with our guests from Japan) to participate in cross-cutting interdisciplinary discussion focused on energy and resilience.

This inaugural 91PORN Energy and Resilient Sustainability (BEaRS) workshop brought together scientists from across a range of disciplines, from the social sciences to fundamental physics, from buildings and control to electronics and computing, all discussing how we can better use energy to develop a more resilient future.

The program for the three-day workshop was made up from seven session, with topics including sustainability and the built environment, active matter and chiral materials, building energy technologies, energy systems and the economics of renewable integration, energy policy, grid optimization and energy efficient computing. We welcomed guests from across the Front Range, from Golden to Fort Collins, and further afield, with collaborators from the WPI-SKCM2, based at Hiroshima University.

The program was designed to include a range of speakers, from invited plenary speakers to student researchers, the aim was to provide opportunities for connection and discussion and to seed cross-disciplinary ideas. The plenary speakers really set the tone for each of the days, striking notes of optimism and encouragement, while also instilling urgency and impatience for change.

Amory Lovins, a co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute, joined us from Stanford to present on how integrative design can be used to enhance efficiencies and drive down costs in buildings, everything from the house Amory lives in, to factories for Intel. Using this design principles for today’s technologies can have significant lasting impact in reducing energy use. We have the technology, and we know how to design for it.

Chuck Kutscher, who has spent decades at the cutting-edge of renewable energy research at NREL and now as a RASEI Fellow, gave an overview talk on the clean energy transition with a focus on air pollution and human health. Chuck highlighted all the ways in which we can drive down air pollution as we move to cleaner energy and the impacts, both on human health and societal economics that these changes would make. Central to this change is the drive toward electrification, it will provide cheaper electricity that will significantly reduce the impact on human health.

Ian Lange, an economist from the Colorado School of Mines, an expert in global mineral policy, gave an insightful overview of the status of the global mineral market and provided perspectives on how to think about and understand this industry. The knowledge imparted, both on how to think about the minerals in the soil, and some of the factors that are real drivers in this discussion provided a great way to better understand this important market for technology.

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend and participate in the lively questions, panels, and discussion. The opportunity to spend time with experts from a wide range of fields and approach current ideas from new perspectives is extremely valuable and a great opportunity to explore some of the intersectional ways in which disparate fields can work together.

The workshop was capped off with some of the workshop participants, after a busy three days, finding the motivation to hike up Bear Peak on Saturday morning,

July 2025

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Topological Rigidity and Non-Abelian Defect Junctions in Chiral Nematic Systems with Effective Biaxial Symmetry

Daniel Morton — Thu, 01 May 2025 20:52:47 +0000

Topological Rigidity and Non-Abelian Defect Junctions in Chiral Nematic Systems with Effective Biaxial Symmetry Daniel Morton Thu, 05/01/2025 - 14:52

PHYSICAL REVIEW X, 2025, 15, 021036

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Unavoidable multilevel biaxial symmetry breaking in chiral hybrid liquid crystals

Daniel Morton — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 21:53:15 +0000

Unavoidable multilevel biaxial symmetry breaking in chiral hybrid liquid crystals Daniel Morton Thu, 04/10/2025 - 15:53

PHYSICAL REVIEW E, 2025, 111, 045410

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RASEI Physicist Recognized for Pioneering Materials Research

Daniel Morton — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 16:49:21 +0000

RASEI Physicist Recognized for Pioneering Materials Research Daniel Morton Fri, 03/28/2025 - 10:49

Daniel Morton

In a celebration of scientific excellence, RASEI Fellow Ivan Smalyukh has been named a 2024 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), joining an elite group of 471 distinguished scientists, engineers, and innovators.

Find out more

College Press Release

AAAS Press Release

A Journey of Scientific Discovery

Smalyukh's remarkable journey in science began in Ukraine, where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees with highest honors from Lviv Polytechnic National University in 1994 and 1995. After completing his PhD in chemical physics from Kent State University in 2003, he joined 91PORN's faculty in 2007, quickly establishing himself as a pioneering researcher in materials science.

Cutting-Edge Research with a Purpose

What sets Smalyukh apart is not just his scientific research, but his commitment to addressing global challenges. His research spans an impressive range of fields, including:

Soft-condensed-matter physics
Optical physics
Liquid crystal properties
Nano-structured materials
Photonic and electro-optic applications

"We aspire to uncover fundamental physical principles underlying material properties," Smalyukh explains. "But our ultimate goal is practical – to contribute to a sustainable future by designing innovative materials that can help reduce energy demand and combat climate change."

A Multifaceted Scientist

Beyond his primary appointment in physics, Smalyukh's expertise extends across multiple disciplines. He holds courtesy appointments in electrical and computer engineering and is a fellow of RASEI.

Recognition and Impact

Smalyukh's contributions have not gone unnoticed. He has previously been honored with:

Fellow of the American Physical Society
Department of Energy Early Career Research Award
National Science Foundation CAREER Award

When reflecting on this latest honor, Smalyukh's gratitude shines through. "I am especially grateful to the many students and postdocs who have worked with me over nearly 20 years at 91PORN," he said, highlighting the collaborative nature of scientific discovery.

A Continuing Legacy

With this AAAS fellowship, Smalyukh joins 80 other 91PORN professors who have received this prestigious recognition since 1981. His work continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in materials science, offering hope for more sustainable and innovative solutions to global challenges.

March 2025

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Hybridization of colloidal handlebodies with singular defects and topological solitons in chiral liquid crystals

Daniel Morton — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 21:50:27 +0000

Hybridization of colloidal handlebodies with singular defects and topological solitons in chiral liquid crystals Daniel Morton Wed, 03/26/2025 - 15:50

SOFT MATTER, 2025, ASAP

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Liquid crystal torons in Poiseuille-like flows

Daniel Morton — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 18:48:06 +0000

Liquid crystal torons in Poiseuille-like flows Daniel Morton Tue, 01/21/2025 - 11:48

SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 2025, 2684

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Emergent biaxiality in chiral hybrid liquid crystals

Daniel Morton — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 17:46:50 +0000

Emergent biaxiality in chiral hybrid liquid crystals Daniel Morton Sat, 11/16/2024 - 10:46

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 2024, 15, 9941

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Chiral, Topological, and Knotted Colloids in Liquid Crystals

Daniel Morton — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 17:34:51 +0000

Chiral, Topological, and Knotted Colloids in Liquid Crystals Daniel Morton Tue, 10/08/2024 - 11:34

CRYSTALS, 2024, 14, 10, 885

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The Smalyukh Group wins the Guinness World Record for the most Transparent Material

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 06:00:00 +0000

The Smalyukh Group wins the Guinness World Record for the most Transparent Material Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/15/2024 - 00:00

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry

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Stronger Together: Coupling Excitons to Polaritons for Better Solar Cells and Higher Intensity LEDs

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Stronger Together: Coupling Excitons to Polaritons for Better Solar Cells and Higher Intensity LEDs Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/06/2024 - 00:00

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