User:LouisaKarakh/Brandi Cossairt

Brandi Michelle Cossairt (born in June 29, 1984) was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She began working in the laboratory of Professor Anthony J. Hynes at the University of Miami (Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science) while still in high school.

She is currently an Associate Professor of Chemistry at University of Washington.

Education
A first-generation college graduate, Cossairt obtained her B.S. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 2006 and is currently an Associate Professor of Chemistry at University of Washington since July 2012. After getting her B.S. in Chemistry, Cossairt went on to pursue a graduate degree in Inorganic Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where under the mentorship of Professor Christopher C. Cummins, she received her PhD in 2010.

Her academic career then took on a journey to New York. There, Cossairt joined Columbia University as an NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow between 2010 and 2012. Finally, Cossairt settled in Seattle, where she continued her research and started her position as Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Washington in July of 2012.

Current work
Cossairt is currently leading a synthetic inorganic chemistry research group working primarily in the field of colloidal nanoscience. The research team’s main focus is Indium Phosphide (InP) and understanding the mechanisms of its growth and methods to control it’s photophysics. InP is used in high-power and high-frequency electronics because of its superior electron velocity making it one of the best electrical conductors.

Their research has a significance in real world as InP quantum dots are a class of phosphors for displays and energy-efficient solid state lighting.

Their aims in the field of nanoscience are two-fold:

1) understanding mechanisms (classical and non-classical) of nucleation and growth of semiconductor nanocrystals (subject of the NSF CAREER proposal), and

2) understanding what chemical and structural factors are critical for selective energy transduction in semiconductor nanocrystals for application in energy efficient solid state lighting, electricity generation, and fuel formation (subject of Packard Fellowship). Their group is best known for understanding the mechanism of InP nucleation and growth and methods to control its photophysics.

Along the way Cossairt's team is also preparing new molecular precursors, creating new synthetic methodologies and exploring complex reaction mechanisms.

Accolades

 * 2018 National Fresenius Award (ACS, sponsored by Phi Lambda Upsilon)
 * 2017 Camille Dreyfus Teacher Scholar Award (The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation)
 * 2016 NSF CAREER Award (current work on nucleation and growth of semiconductor nanocrystals )
 * 2015 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering (The David and Lucile Packard Foundation)
 * 2015 Sloan Research Fellowship (The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation)
 * 2015 Seattle AWIS Award for Early Career Achievement

Other Organizations

 * Associate Editor at the ACS journal (Inorganic Chemistry)
 * Co-founder (along with Jillian Dempsey, UNC Chapel Hill) of the Chemistry Women Mentorship Network, a national network of women in chemistry to provide support, encouragement and mentorship for young women considering continuing their education or pursuing careers in academia