Bo Zhen Named Jin K. Lee Presidential Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy

Bo Zhen, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, has been named Jin K. Lee Presidential Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy. Zhen’s research focuses on the study of electromagnetic waves, such as light, in engineered environments. His group investigates exotic phenomena in condensed matter physics and quantum electrodynamics while pursuing practical applications in areas like infrared light detection, quantum control and readout, and quantum sensing.

Zhen, who joined the Penn faculty in 2018, earned his doctorate in physics from MIT and his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics & Physics from Tsinghua University. A 2021 Sloan Research Fellowship recipient, Zhen has also been recognized with Young Investigator Awards from the Office of Naval Research, the Army Research Office, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. In 2021, Zhen was awarded an International Commission for Optics Prize for his “pioneering research on optical bound states in the continuum, exceptional points, and other topological states in photonics.”

Jin K. Lee, C’92, and Jennifer Tod Lee, generously established the Jin K. Lee Presidential Professorship in 2020. Jin Lee graduated from Penn in 1992 with a degree in economics and works as an equity portfolio manager at the Capital Group. He is a member of the School of Arts & Sciences Board of Advisors and a former member of the Undergraduate Financial Aid Leadership Council and the Southern California Regional Advisory Board. His previous Penn philanthropy includes the Jin Kyu Lee Scholarship and the Lee Family Scholarship.