Group – Kempa Group

Principal Investigator

Professor Thomas (Tom) Kempa

Ph.D. in Chemistry: Harvard University, 2012

Bio: Thomas J. Kempa is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University and has courtesy appointments in the Departments of Physics & Astronomy and Materials Science & Engineering. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Boston College (2004) and after being awarded a Marshall Scholarship, Tom completed two years of post-graduate study at Imperial College London. Returning to the United States, he began graduate studies under the direction of Prof. Charles Lieber at Harvard University and earned his PhD in 2012. Thereafter, Tom conducted postdoctoral studies in the laboratory of Prof. Daniel Nocera, first at MIT and then Harvard. Professor Kempa’s research group develops new methods to prepare and study low-dimensional inorganic crystals from nanoparticles to few-atom thick 2D sheets whose exceptional properties render them intriguing platforms for optoelectronic, energy conversion, and quantum science studies. Professor Kempa is the recipient of numerous awards including the Moore Investigator Award, a DARPA Young Faculty Award, an NSF CAREER Award, a Dreyfus Foundation Fellowship, a Toshiba Distinguished Young Investigator Award, two Hopkins Discovery Awards, and others. He has also been honored as a Kavli Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and a Mercator Fellow by the German Research Foundation (DFG). He was also named an Emerging Investigator by the Journal of Materials Chemistry A and was recently selected by Matter as one of 35 early career PIs leading breakthroughs in materials science. In 2023, Tom was appointed a member of the Nano Letters Editorial Advisory Board. In December 2024, Tom began an appointment as Associate Editor at npj 2D Materials and Applications. Tom was elected the co-Vice Chair and Chair of the 2026 and 2028, respectively, GRCs on “2D Electronics Beyond Graphene.” He is also a founder and co-director of the Hub for Imaging and Quantum Technologies, an institute at JHU.

Selected Awards & Honors:

2028 Chair of Gordon Research Conference on 2D Electronics Beyond Graphene
2026 Vice Chair of Gordon Research Conference on 2D Electronics Beyond Graphene
2025 Moore Investigator Award, Moore Foundation
2025 Kavli Fellow, National Academy of Sciences (NAS)
2025 Mercator Fellow, German Research Foundation (DFG)
2022 Catalyst Award, Johns Hopkins
2021 DARPA Young Faculty Award
2021 35 PIs under 35 Award, Matter
2019 Emerging Investigator Award, J. Materials Chemistry A.
2018 NSF CAREER Award
2018 Toshiba Distinguished Young Investigator
2015 Dreyfus Foundation Fellow in Environmental Chemistry
2013 IUPAC Young Chemist Prize
2011 Materials Research Society Graduate Student Award
2006 NSF Graduate Research Fellow
2004 Marshall Scholar

Current Members
Group Alumni

Current Members

Graduate Students

	Yifei Zhu (he/him) B.Sc. in Chemistry: Union College, 2020 [email protected] Bio: Yifei during his leisure picks up all of his Vogues and Rolling Stones.
	Kathryn Kingsbury (she/her) B.Sc. in Chemistry: Fordham University, 2020 [email protected] Bio: Besides doing chemistry, Kathryn likes to spend her time making and eating soup. Although now that she thinks about it, a good part of doing chemistry is just making very elaborate soup.
	Ámbar Escobar (she/her) B.Sc. in Chemistry: University of Puerto Rico at Cayey, 2023 [email protected] Bio: Ámbar is a proud puertorrican who enjoys cooking, going out with friends, reading, and exercising.
	Paul Hanrahan (he/him) B.Sc. in Chemistry: University of Minnesota, 2023 [email protected] Bio: Paul enjoys racquet sports, the food from 7/11, and reminding everyone that Baltimore doesn’t actually get cold.
	Chris Leiter (he/him) B.Sc. in Chemistry: Regis University, 2024 [email protected] Bio: During his free time, Chris loves biking, exploring the outdoors, and finding new ways to push the limits of baking pizza.
	Cole Holladay (they/them) B.Sc. in Chemistry: Rice University, 2025 [email protected] Bio: Cole enjoys making jewelry, binging reality TV, and spending time with their cat Willow.
	Ivan Matyushov (he/him) B.S.E in Materials Science & Engineering: Arizona State University, 2024 [email protected] Bio: Ivan enjoys almost any activity involving a ball, mountain, or river. Once in a while, he may cook or read something cool.

Postdoctoral Researchers

Sarath Kumar (he/him)

B.Sc./M.Sc in Chemistry: Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Ph.D in Chemistry: Purdue University, 2023

[email protected]

Bio: A physical chemist by training, Sarath specializes in ultrafast imaging and spectroscopy of organic and hybrid semiconductors. He joined the Kempa Group in 2026, where he studies multi-exciton physics and light–matter interactions in hybrid semiconductor systems. Outside the lab, he is an avid cricket enthusiast and enjoys traveling and exploring new cultures.

Undergraduate Students

Abbie Gibson (she/her)

B.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2026 (expected)
B.Sc. in Applied Mathematics and Statistics: Johns Hopkins University, 2026 (expected)

[email protected]

Bio: Outside of creating cool materials, Abbie enjoys fire flow arts and bothering her friends with XKCD comics.

MyTien Elizabeth Huynh (she/her)

B.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2026 (expected)
B.A. in Public Health: Johns Hopkins University, 2026 (expected)

[email protected]

Bio: Elizabeth spends her free time reading, trying new (random) things, and watching Studio Ghibli films.

Group Alumni

Former Graduates and Postdocs

	Minyuan (Miller) Li Currently working at Los Alamos National Laboratory PhD: MIT, 2015 Bio: A solid-state chemist by training; a solid-state chemist by hobby.
	Hiro Gangi B.Sc. in Applied Physics: The University of Tokyo, 2013 M.Sc. in Applied Physics: The University of Tokyo, 2015 Collaborative Researcher from Toshiba Corporation Japan, 2017-2019 [email protected]
	Jungkil Kim Currently an assistant professor of physics at Jeju National University B.Eng. in Radio Comm.: Kyung Hee University, 2009 M.Sc. in Physics: Kyung Hee University, 2011 Ph.D. in Physics: Kyung Hee University, 2016 Bio: Jungkil loves shooting films, and playing an electric guitar.
	Eric Thompson Currently an engineer at Thermo Fisher Scientific B.Sc. in Chemistry: Bloomsberg University, 2016 M.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2020 Bio: Eric enjoys video games, board games, and reading. You most likely cannot beat him in a dance-off.
	Marina Solomos Currently a senior scientist, engineering at Merck B.S. in Chemistry: La Salle University, 2013 Ph.D. in Chemistry: Georgetown University, 2018 Bio: Marina enjoys hiking, reading, chasing after puppies, and spending time with her family.
	Tomojit (Tom) Chowdhury Currently a Kadanoff-Rice postdoctoral fellow at the University of Chicago B.Sc. in Chemistry: University of Calcutta, 2013 M.Sc. in Chemistry: I.I.T. Guwahati, 2015 Ph.D. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2021 [email protected] Bio: Tom enjoys photography, hiking, and listening to his favorite progressive rock music.
	Erick Sadler Currently a process integration engineer at Northrop Grumman B.Sc. in Chemistry: Virginia Tech, 2016 Ph.D. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2021 [email protected] Bio: Erick dreams about synthesizing cool materials and of the day Joe Flacco wins another Super Bowl.
	Jamie Claire Currently a research scientist at Cree LED B.Sc. in Chemistry: College of Charleston, 2016 B.A. in Physics: College of Charleston, 2016 Ph.D. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2021 [email protected] Bio: During the week you can find Jamie in the pores of a MOF; in his free time he enjoys a fine whiskey neat.
	Zhenya Luo B.Sc. in Chemistry: University of Science and Technology of China, 2019 M.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2022 [email protected] Bio: Zhenya is fond of anime and enjoys watching youtube in his spare time.
	Ben Stephens Currently the science and technology advisor at the Irish Consulate in Boston B.Sc. in Chemistry: College of Charleston, 2016 Ph. D. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2021 [email protected] Bio: When not singing the praises of his native South Carolina, Ben enjoys hanging out with friends, skiing, and the outdoors.
	Sachi Hilliard Currently a semiconductor microelectronics engineer B.Sc. in Chemistry-Materials Science: University of California Los Angeles, 2020 M.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2023 [email protected] Bio: Sachi likes to spend her free time jogging, visiting museums, and perfecting her sourdough recipe.
	Marta Sliwa Currently a life sciences consultant at EY Parthenon B.Sc. in Chemistry: Boston University, 2017 Ph.D. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2024 [email protected] Bio: A Dungeons & Dragons fanatic, Marta spends most of her time as the Dungeon Master or making pierogi for her fellow gamers.
	Reynolds Dziobek-Garrett Currently a postdoc at the Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography, AMOLF, and the van der Waals Zeeman Institute at the University of Amsterdam B.Sc. in Chemical Physics: University of Toronto, 2019 Ph.D. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2024 [email protected] Bio: Reynolds, a proud DC native, enjoys cooking, basketball, and telling people that Reynolds is, in fact, not his last name.
	Dara Weiss Currently a Physical Scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology B.Sc. in Chemistry: University of Chicago, 2018 Ph.D. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2024 [email protected] Bio: Dara enjoys knitting, cooking vegan food, and obsessing over her cat, Edna Mode.
	Ona Ambrozaite Currently Director of U.S. East Coast for the UK Science and Technology Network B.Sc. in Biochemistry: University of Vermont, 2020 Ph.D. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2025 [email protected] Bio: Ona loves keeping a positive attitude and a smile, especially when doing CVD reactions! Besides designing low dimensional materials, she also paints with watercolor, using lots of bright colors.
	Zhe Zhang Currently an Application Engineer at Applied Materials B.Sc. in Chemistry: Peking University, 2019 Ph.D. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2025 [email protected] Bio: Zhe enjoys movies, tennis, music and dreams about having a cat.

Former Undergraduates

	Imogen Weatherhead M.Sc. in Chemistry: University College London, 2017 Bio: Imogen was a visiting exchange student from University College London completing her third year of studies at Johns Hopkins University in Chemistry.
	Guillermo Contreras Currently in a PhD program at Penn B.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2017 Bio: A native of Los Angeles, CA, Guillermo enjoys eating out with friends, spending time with family and playing soccer. When he has spare time, he enjoys playing FIFA, bass guitar, and dreaming of sunny California.
	Alexander Kossak Currently in a PhD program at MIT B.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2018 M.S.E. in Materials Science & Engineering: Johns Hopkins University, 2018 M.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2018 Bio: Alex loves eating anything with buffalo sauce on it. His favorite element is Osmium.
	Stephanie Tenney Currently in a PhD program at UCLA B.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2018 Bio: Stephanie loves gardening, baking, and painting. She also enjoys days outdoors at the beach or on a hike.
	Irina Chirca Currently in a PhD program at Cambridge M.Sc. in Chemistry: University College London, 2019 Bio: A native from Romania, but studying in London, Irina is spending her third year of studies at Johns Hopkins University.
	Adam Strickland Currently in a PhD program at Northwestern University B.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2019 B.Sc. in Physics: Johns Hopkins University, 2019 Bio: His feet have more mileage than your car, assuming you don’t commute very often.
	Andrew Patera Currently in a MD-PhD program at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University B.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2018 B.Sc. in Neuroscience: Johns Hopkins University, 2018 Bio: AJ loves visiting his dog at home on Long Island. In his spare time he likes to watch and play baseball.
	Cassidy Quiros B.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2020 (expected) B.Sc. in Environmental Science: Johns Hopkins University, 2020 (expected) Bio: During her free time, you can find Cassidy with a cup of coffee and a good book or watching the latest Marvel movie or TV show. She can bake a mean batch of chocolate chip cookies.
	Louie Hoffenberg Currently in a PhD program at Princeton B.Sc. in Applied Mathematics and Statistics: Johns Hopkins University, 2020 B.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2020 M.S.E. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Johns Hopkins University, 2021 [email protected] Bio: When he’s not lubricating his Rubik’s cubes, Louie is probably making a bad pun or chugging pre-workout while making aggressive eye contact with a nearby squirrel.
	Yuzuka Karube Currently in a PhD program at Columbia B.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2021 B.Sc. in Applied Mathematics and Statistics: Johns Hopkins University, 2021 M.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2021 ykarube1 at jhu.edu Bio: Yuzuka enjoys watching cooking videos and listening to podcasts in her free time.
	Shreya Sriramineni Currently in a PhD program at Columbia B.A. in Physics: Johns Hopkins University, 2024 [email protected] Bio: In her free time, Shreya enjoys reading, listening to rock, and fueling her crippling addiction to minesweeper.
	Fanuel Mammo Currently in a PhD program at Georgia Institute of Technology B.A. in Chemistry: Johns Hopkins University, 2024 B.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering: Johns Hopkins University, 2024 [email protected] Bio: Besides thinking about manufacturing 2D metamaterials, Fanuel enjoys hiking, biking, and maniacal plotting