PhD student Dung Vu selected for Ohio State Presidential Fellowship

Ohio State mechanical engineering PhD student Dung Vu was selected as one of this year’s recipients of the Ohio State Presidential Fellowship.

The fellowship is given to students who “embody the highest standards of scholarship” in the graduate programs at the university going into the last stages of their dissertation research or terminal degree project. Recipients are given a monthly stipend for living expenses so they can focus solely on completing their research, as well as help with travel expenses to present at national conferences.

Vu is a fourth-year doctoral candidate who came to Ohio State from Hanoi, Vietnam.

“When I turned 18, I got a scholarship to enter KAIST, one of the best universities in South Korea and I took that chance to study abroad and travel the world,” Vu said. “After graduation from KAIST, I worked as a project engineer in Korea and then Saudi Arabia for a few years before I decided to apply to graduate school.”

Vu’s research explores new mechanisms of energy transport by electrons based on topological properties of their equations of motion. This work not only advances fundamental understandings of electrons in solid, but also provides blueprints for future devices such as dissipation-less electronics and solid-state thermal transistors.

He is advised by Professor Joseph Heremans, and works in Heremans’ Thermal Materials Lab in Scott Lab.

“I am blessed to work under advisement of Prof. Heremans,” Vu said. “He is not only among the top scholar in his field but also a great character both inside and outside the lab. Prof. Heremans always make sure that he dedicates enough time and effort in advising his students. He also gives us guidance in navigating our career whether we want to work in industry or academia since he had extensive experience in both. Overall, I am very satisfied with our lab.”

Vu is deeply honored to receive the award.

“Clearly, I did not achieve this award on my own,” Vu said. “I’d like to give thanks to my advisor, collaborators and friends who helped me to reach this achievement. This award will enable me to focus my effort in finishing my dissertation in the coming year. PhD is a long journey it can be hard and treacherous sometimes, but it has been a rewarding experience.”