Michi Nakata Prizes for Early Career Achievement

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    Mingzhu Liu

    Beihang University, China

    Received the 2024 Michi Nakata Prize for contributions related to liquid crystal materials chemistry, particularly liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) microparticles. His interdisciplinary research background built up a solid foundation for his future success.
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    Danqing Liu

    Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands

    Received the 2020 Michi Nakata Prize for her outstanding achievement in stimuli-responsive liquid crystals and liquid crystal coating systems in a wide range of applications covering from soft robotics and advanced optics to healthcare systems. The diversity of her research will make her hold the leadership in the field.
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    Hillel Aharoni

    University of Pennsylvania, USA

    Received the 2018 Michi Nakata Prize for his impressive evolution of research on topological and geometric applications in soft matter physics from the pattern formation in smectic liquid crystals, demonstrating how nature uses simple geometric principles for achieving complex functionality. His unusual broad view on the soft matter physics including liquid crystal physics, based on strong mathematical and geometrical skills, will make him grow as a prominent scientist.
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    Taizo Mori

    National Institute for Materials Science, Japan

    Received the 2016 Michi Nakata Prize for Early Career Achievement for his impressive evolution of research career in synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials with intricate nanometer scale structural motifs and properties, resulting in a solid record of influential publications in the field. The ever growing diversity of research coverage heralds his broad range of success and leadership in the field.
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    Abhishek Srivastava

    Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

    Received the 2014 Michi Nakata Prize for Early Career Achievement for his innovative and pioneering contributions to high-performance liquid crystal electro-optic devices using ferroelectric liquid crystals and the nanotechnology of photoalignment. The prolific research activity in his early stage is believed to promise his future career.
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    Dong Ki Yoon

    Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), Republic of Korea

    Received the 2012 Michi Nakata Prize for Early Career Achievement in recognition of outstanding work accomplished while a postdoctoral associate, on the study of topographic confinement and orientation of liquid crystals.
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    Surajit Dhara

    University of Hyderabad, India

    Received the 2010 Michi Nakata Prize for Early Career Achievement in recognition of outstanding work accomplished while a postdoctoral associate, on the discovery of the discontinuous anchoring transition of a nematic liquid crystal on amorphous perfluoropolymer surfaces, and the development of this discovery from both the fundamental and applications perspectives