Harvard President Lawrence Bacow has approved Kang-Kuen Ni, Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and of Physics, to the role of full professor with tenure at the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), effective July 1, 2021.

Ni’s research is focused on creating molecules at the lowest possible temperatures to study fundamental aspects of chemical reactions and physical dynamics. Her research group explores quantum many-body physics in chemistry-related applications. Recently, her work has explored mapping the quantum frontier, extending the life of a dipolar molecule, and solving an ultracold mystery.

Kang-Kuen joined Harvard as an assistant professor in 2013. She obtained her B.S. in physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her Ph.D. in physics from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her doctoral dissertation, completed under the supervision of Prof. Deborah Jin and Prof. Jun Ye, describes the first experimental realization of an ultra-cold, near-quantum-degenerate gas of polar molecules.

Congratulations Professor Ni! A virtual celebration with be held in June to commemorate this incredible achievement.