Jurchescu to give the 24th Annual Poteat Lecture on Wednesday

April 1, 2024

Baker Family Professor of Physics Oana Jurchescu will give the 24th Annual Hubert McNeill Poteat Lecture on Wednesday, April 3, at 4 p.m. in ZSR Auditorium. She will speak on “Printed Flexible Electronics: Making a Big Impact with Small Circuits.” Light refreshments will follow the lecture. Register online here.

Jurchescu leads the University’s Organic and Flexible Electronics research lab, which investigates organic and hybrid electronics. The technology has the potential to address unique applications, such as artificial skin, smart bandages, flexible displays, and wearable electronics. In 2022, she brought the first NSF Special Creativity Award to Wake Forest for group research to shorten the path from concept to commercialization for organic semiconductors.

In addition to the National Science Foundation, her research is funded by the Office of Naval Research and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Her work, featured in more than 100 publications and four invited book chapters, has garnered international recognition and earned four patents. 

During her 15 years as a teacher-scholar at Wake Forest, Jurchescu has mentored undergraduate, graduate and high-school students as well as postdoctoral researchers. Her undergraduate physics mentees won NSF graduate fellowships, the LeRoy Apker Award, Churchill scholarships, and Goldwater scholarships.

Jurchescu has given more than 60 invited or plenary talks at major international conferences and served in a variety of capacities, including conference chair, for more than 30 conferences, such as the American Physical Society (APS), the Materials Research Society (MRS), International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) meetings. She has been awarded numerous accolades, including, the Pegram Award from American Physical Society for excellence in teaching and mentoring, the Graduate School Student Association Faculty Excellence Award, URECA Award for Excellence in Mentorship in Research and Creative Work, and the Reid-Doyle Prize for Excellence in Teaching. She is an associate editor for the Journal of Materials Chemistry C (Royal Society of Chemistry) and Science Advances (American Association for the Advancement of Science) and serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Chemical Physics Reviews, Organic Electronics, and Journal of Physics Materials.

About the Lecture Series

The Poteat Lecture Series was established in honor of Hubert McNeill Poteat, professor of Latin and head of the classics department at Wake Forest College for 44 years. It recognizes and showcases the scholarship accomplishments of Wake Forest College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences faculty.