Gyu Leem, Ph. D.
Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Materials Science and Engineering Program
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Email: gyu.leem@utrgv.edu
Education
Ph. D. University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 2008
B.S. Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea, 2002
Professional Experience
2026- Presence: Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UTRGV
2026- Presence: Associate Adjunct Professor of Chemistry, SUNY ESF
2023 – 2025: Associate Professor of Chemistry, SUNY ESF
2018 – 2023: Assistant Professor of Chemistry, SUNY ESF
2016 – 2018: Assistant Professor of Research, University of Texas at San Antonio
2012 – 2016: Postdoctoral Associate, University of Florida
2009 – 2012: Principal Scientist, LG Chem
2008 – 2009: Postdoctoral Fellow, Polytechnic University of Milan
2003 – 2008: Research Assistant, University of Houston
Professional Affiliation
2020 – present: Editorial board member, ACS Applied Nano Materials
2023 – present: Review Editor, Photocatalysis and Photochemistry, Frontiers in Chemistry
2021 – present: Guest editor, Catalysis for Sustainable Energy section, MDPI
2021 – present: Steering Committee member, A New York State Designated Center of Excellence in Healthy Water Solutions, Center of Excellence in Health Water Solutions
2020 – 2021: Guest editor, Sustainable Hydrogen Production, Nano Convergence
2019 – 2020: Topic editor, Catalysis and Photocatalysis Section, Frontiers in Chemistry
Honors and Awards
SUNY Technology Accelerator Fund (SUNY TAF) (2024-2025)
KEIT (2024-2027)
NSF CBET (No. 2234088, 2023-2026)
USDA NIFA STTR Phase II (2024-2026)
USDA NIFA STTR Phase I (2023-2024)
NSF Chemical Synthesis (2021-2025)
USDA McIntire Stennis Forestry Research (2020-2023)
The NYS Center of Excellence in Healthy Water Solutions (2020-2024)
Invited Outstanding Scientist Fellowship in Brain Pool program (2022-2025)
The U.S. Air Force Research Lab Summer Faculty Fellowship (2022)
The NYS Department of Economic Development (DED) through the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (2022)
Research Interests
- Photoelectrocatlaysis
- Chemoselective C-C/C-O bond cleavage
- Photodynamic
- Degradation of hazardous chemicals in wastewater/drinking water
- Novel synthetic polymerization methods
Courses Taught
Regular offerings
FCH 221 Organic Chemistry I
FCH 552 Polymer Science: Properties and Technology
FCH 796 Special Topics in Chemistry – Principles of Fluorescence Spectroscopy
FCH 796 Special Topics in Chemistry – Advanced Organic Chemistry
Leem Research Group 