Leland Nordin is an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida, holding a joint appointment between the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL). He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics with honors from Grinnell College, followed by master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. After completing his graduate studies, Nordin held a postdoctoral research fellowship at Stanford University’s Geballe Lab for Advanced Materials.

His research lab specializes in the design, growth, fabrication and characterization of semiconductor materials and devices. The lab focuses on semiconductor devices that emit or detect light, employing nanostructuring techniques to enhance light-matter interactions and significantly improve device performance. His current research interests include ultra-wide band gap materials (III-N’s) and devices (UVC lasers, LEDs and detectors), as well as nanophotonic and heteroepitaxial devices using III-V semiconductors (low-cost detectors, novel emitters, and nanophotonic single-photon detectors).

Nordin has received several awards, including the 2024 Early Career Program award from the Army Research Office, the 2025 Young Investigator Program award from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the 2025 UCF Reach for the Stars Award.

Forthcoming