Melville, N.Y., November 10, 2025 — The Journal of Chemical Physics (JCP), published by AIP Publishing, and the Division of Chemical Physics (DCP) of the American Physical Society have named Scott Cushing, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the California Institute of Technology, as the 2025 recipient of the JCP–DCP Future of Chemical Physics Lectureship. The award recognizes an early-career scientist who has made outstanding contributions to the field of chemical physics and shows exceptional promise for continued impact.
Prof. Cushing is being honored for his pioneering work developing new spectroscopic and microscopy techniques to probe quantum phenomena across chemical, materials, and physical systems. His research integrates ultrafast x-rays, time-resolved TEM-EELS, and beams of entangled photons to explore and control processes on the fastest time scales, linking fundamental quantum effects to practical applications in energy and materials science.
“Scott’s accomplishments show impressive breadth, depth, and innovation,” said Tim Lian, Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Chemical Physics. “He has published 36 papers spanning three distinct areas—entangled photon spectroscopy, transient X-ray spectroscopy, and ultrafast electron and battery spectroscopy—showing incredible breadth at this early stage of his independent career. In each of these areas, his work advances the frontier of the field, demonstrating impressive depth. Two of these research areas differ completely from his prior work as a Ph.D. student and postdoctoral fellow, indicating Scott’s ability to quickly identify important problems in new fields and make significant contributions to advance those fields.”
As the recipient of the 2025 JCP–DCP Future of Chemical Physics Lectureship, Cushing will be invited to deliver a lecture at the Division of Chemical Physics (DCP) Award Session during the American Physical Society Global Physics Summit 2026. He will also receive a $2,000 travel award and an invitation to submit a Perspective, Tutorial, or Review article to The Journal of Chemical Physics.
Cushing is an Assistant Professor at the California Institute of Technology with a multidisciplinary background spanning chemistry, materials science, and physics. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. from West Virginia University before completing postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley. His laboratory at Caltech focuses on creating new scientific instrumentation that translates quantum phenomena into practical devices and applications. The Cushing Lab is currently pioneering the use of ultrafast x-rays, time-resolved TEM-EELS, and ultrafast beams of entangled photons for a range of microscopy and spectroscopy applications.