Billinge Moves On to New Leadership Role

The APAM Department bids a fond farewell to Professor Simon Billinge, expressing deep gratitude for his many years of service, leadership, and collaboration at Columbia Engineering. Beginning January 2026, he will join the Materials Department at UC Santa Barbara and serve as the new Director of the California Nanosystems Institute (CNSI).

Billinge joined Columbia in 2008 as Professor of Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics, and Materials Science, also holding a Scientist appointment at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Over his distinguished career, he has published more than 350 papers, mentored generations of students, and helped shape the direction of materials science research at Columbia.

A graduate of Oxford University and the University of Pennsylvania, Prof. Billinge began his career at Los Alamos National Laboratory before joining the faculty at Michigan State University, where he rose to full professor in 2003. His many honors include the 2025 Gregori Aminoff prize of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and being named a Carnegie Corporation Great Immigrant. He is a Fellow of the APS and the Neutron Scattering Society of America, and serves as Section Editor for Acta Crystallographica Section A.

Renowned for pioneering advances in atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, Prof. Billinge’s research has transformed the study of local structure in disordered and nanoscale materials, with applications spanning energy, catalysis, environmental remediation, and pharmaceuticals.

APAM extends its warmest thanks to Prof. Billinge for his remarkable contributions and wishes him every success in this exciting new role.