The Cornell Department of Materials Science and Engineering is proud to honor Dr. Yu Kambe ’13 with the inaugural MSE Early Career Achievement Award in recognition of exceptional early-career achievements that demonstrate outstanding promise within the first 15 years after graduation from Cornell University in the field of materials science and engineering.
The award will be presented at the annual Gala Awards Dinner and poster session on Friday, May 8, an event that will also recognize our outstanding undergraduates, master’s, and Ph.D. students for excellence in teaching and research.
Dr. Kambe is the CEO and Co-Founder of NanoPattern Technologies, Inc., where he leads the development of next-generation inorganic photoresist formulations for the semiconductor industry. His background in materials science spans a broad range of advanced applications, including quantum dots for displays, metal oxides for semiconductors, cathode intercalation compounds for lithium-ion batteries and catalyst materials for PEMFC fuel cells.
We spoke with Dr. Kambe via email about his experience in Cornell Duffield Engineering, his perspective on the future of engineering, and his advice for our current students.
What made you want to major in materials science and engineering when you were a student?
I had the opportunity to work for a company focused on lithium-ion cathode intercalation compound materials. During that period, I realized that I was actually quite good at materials science. I was able to conduct a study, synthesize my findings into a report, and present it effectively at a group meeting. That experience really helped me recognize my own capabilities and made me feel that I could truly contribute as an engineer and a scientist. Furthermore, my passion has always been to leave the world a little bit better than I found it. Utilizing materials science for the greater good—particularly in the context of sustainability research —really inspired me to major in this field.
What are the values and skills that students acquire in Cornell Duffield Engineering that may prepare them for entrepreneurial or leadership roles in technology industries?
The most critical value is the deep focus on fundamentals. There are very few opportunities later in life to spend dedicated time on core principles like understanding how lattices impact material properties or how and why nanoparticles disperse in solution. This training in first principles gives you a competitive advantage in the industry; you can actively augment your practical experience with fundamental knowledge. As Michael Thompson once said, it is important to simply remember that a concept exists so that you know what to Google in the future. Beyond the fundamentals, Cornell taught me how to do true discovery research and how to be an effective science communicator. Working alongside world-class researchers in Bard Hall taught me how to create project timelines for discovering things that have never existed before. Additionally, participating in a pitch competition during my senior year gave me invaluable early exposure to market design, small-team collaboration, and experience pitching concepts to judges.
How do you feel your education has affected your career path so far?
My education is the genesis of my identity as a researcher. While my industrial internships gave me practical, incremental experience, like adjusting a cobalt precursor by 15% or 30% and testing the resulting coin cells, my materials science and engineering education provided the theoretical depth to understand why those performance changes happened. It gave me the ability to understand how a change in cobalt content widened the lattice structure, ultimately allowing for a higher power capacity or a higher 5C charging capacity. It honed my basic understanding of battery and nano chemistries into a concrete skill set that has formed my career identity today.
Who was the mentor who most impacted your academic career at Cornell?
I was incredibly fortunate to have several mentors who deeply impacted my path. Michael Thompson was my academic advisor and fundamentals mentor. Even though I wasn’t the top student based on GPA, he believed I would succeed. He gently guided me in managing my academic workloads, allowed me to TA for his class, and fostered my confidence when I was president of the Cornell Materials Research Society chapter. I am also very thankful to Bruce van Dover, who trusted me enough during my freshman year to join his laboratory, introducing me to high-throughput combinatorial research and the basics of electrochemistry. Furthermore, I am deeply indebted to Dean Lynden Archer, who during his time in in chemical engineering, conducted research with me that led to a Materials Research Society proceedings publication, which was instrumental in my admission to the University of Chicago for my Ph.D. Finally, Lara Estroff’s biomimetic engineering courses inspired my passion for science communication and gave me back a sense of childish wonder for materials science.
Why should students who are interested in technology industries pursue a degree in materials science and engineering?
In my opinion, a degree in materials science and engineering makes you an indispensable part of major tech companies and their supply chain organizations. At companies like Apple, for example, materials scientists are designing the phosphor light conversion particles for LED camera flashes and sourcing and analyzing the exact aluminum alloys used for smartphone chassis to ensure they meet strict CNC machining standards. At Nvidia, understanding the mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion between polymer dielectrics and copper electrodes in interconnects is critical for developing the next generation of computer chips. Fundamental materials science and engineering knowledge is what pushes these technologies to the next level.
Is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or thank with regard to the Early Career Achievement Award?
I would like to sincerely thank my aforementioned mentors, despite my struggles with test anxiety and not having the highest GPA, they gave me the confidence, guidance, and support to continue growing. Most importantly, I want to thank my wife, Dr. Christine McIntosh ’14. Although we are both Cornell alumni, we actually met while doing our Ph.D.s at the University of Chicago. She inspires me endlessly with her work ethic, her kindness, and her unwavering scientific integrity. The motivation, words of affirmation, and support I receive from her daily are critical influences for who I am as a person. We continue to roll together in our successes and setbacks, and I truly would not be here without her.
If you could go back and give yourself some advice as a Cornell student, what would it be?
Honestly, I would leave the past to itself. I am a firm believer that all the late nights, the dumb mistakes, and the successes I experienced were the culmination of who I am today. Looking back at my time at Cornell, and looking at this award now, this is truly the best-case scenario for me. If I were back as an undergrad struggling with a problem set from MSE 2610 in Bard Hall or Duffield right now, I would probably just wonder, “Wow, how do I get there?” So, I don’t really have any advice to change things. Cornell is an amazing place filled with trusting professors and incredibly sharp colleagues and friends. These are four years where you can be as chaotic as possible, test your own limits, make mistakes, and learn how to become a bona fide researcher while enjoying yourself. Real life is a bit scarier, so embrace that time. I chose to live my life fully experiencing those ups and downs, and I really don’t have any regrets.
Dr. Kambe received his bachelor’s degree in materials science from Cornell University in 2013. Following his graduation he moved to Silicon Valley to join C3Nano Inc. as a lead project engineer, developing advanced transparent conducting films.
In the fall of 2014, Kambe joined the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering as an inaugural Ph.D. student. Supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, he investigated fundamental ion transport in polymer electrolytes under Paul Nealey. Beyond the lab, he co-founded the Innovation and Commercialization Fellowship Program, an initiative that trains Ph.D. and postdoctoral researchers to conduct market diligence on early-stage technologies, and served as an associate at the Polsky Center’s George Shultz Innovation Fund. He has also contributed extensively to the university community, having served on the University of Chicago Alumni Board and currently sits on the PME Advisory Council.
After defending his dissertation in 2019, he founded NanoPattern Technologies, Inc. alongside co-founder Dmitri Talapin. With deep roots in advanced materials innovation and the startup ecosystem, including his early contributions to companies such as C3Nano and Envia Systems, Dr. Kambe holds more than 15 patents and has authored 14 peer-reviewed publications. Through his leadership and ongoing work, he continues to champion the importance of materials science and engineering as a discipline.