The Department of Materials Science and Engineering is delighted to welcome Dr. Grace Pan as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Pan’s research addresses novel material synthesis methods for optoelectronic functional materials, with an emphasis on materials for quantum computing.

A differentiating aspect of Dr. Pan’s work is the broad scope of composition, structure, length scale, and functionality that Dr. Pan addresses.

During her Ph.D. studies at Harvard, Pan discovered a new family of high-temperature superconductors. Her current work as a postdoc at U-C Berkeley extends these methods toward the electronically active materials that will be essential to realize quantum computing at scale.

Dr. Pan’s goal for her research at U-M is to develop a laser-assisted MBE technique, supported by in-situ characterization, that will enable materials synthesis with unprecedented precision.

Beyond the lab, Dr. Pan has demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence in education and service. She received the Derek C. Bok Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching from Harvard for her classroom instruction, and she co-chaired the 2025 Gordon Research Seminar on Superconductivity.

“Dr. Pan is an outstanding addition to the MSE faculty," said Elizabeth Holm, Richard F. and Eleanor A. Towner Professor of Engineering and MSE chair. "She rounds out our internationally-recognized functional materials faculty group, bringing a new focus on quantum material fabrication. Her work has already had significant impact, and we can’t wait to see what she discovers next!”

As she ramps up her research program and builds out her lab, Dr. Pan is appointed as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Materials Science; she will join us on campus in Ann Arbor starting in January 2027.