Clemson chemist Thao Tran Dominy named Kavli Fellow by National Academy of Sciences

Thao Tran Dominy, an assistant professor in the Clemson University Department of Chemistry, has been named a 2025 Kavli Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

A NAS committee selects Kavli Fellows from among early career scientists who have already made recognized contributions to science, including recipients of major fellowships and awards.

Tran Dominy was among 88 scientists from industry, academia and government chosen this year. She was honored at the Kavli Frontiers of Science symposia held at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering in Irvine, California, March 6-8.

“Being named a NAS Kavli Fellow is a fulfilling acknowledgment of the impactful scientific contributions made by my research team. This recognition from the NAS further fuels my commitment to advancing science and mentoring young scientists. Thank you to all the amazing graduate, undergraduate and postdoc team members who made this possible,” she said.

More than 6,800 scientists have attended the Frontiers of Science symposia since their inception in 1989. Three hundred fifty-four have later been elected to the NAS and 20 have received the Nobel Prize.

Tran Dominy presented work entitled “Chemical Bonding in Quantum Materials: Simple, Innovative Solutions for Future Information and Energy Technology.” The research is the latest to come out of her lab and was conducted by Clemson graduate researchers Dasuni Rathnaweera and Uchenna Chinaegbomkpa, postdoctoral fellows Xudong Huai and Ramesh Kumar, and collaborators across the United States and the world. The research was sponsored by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation and the National Science Foundation. 

Level rarely seen

“Dr. Tran Dominy is performing at a level rarely seen in a young scientist, and we are very proud of her research accomplishments and of the fact that she is an excellent teacher, advisor to her students and a great citizen of our department, college and university,” said William Pennington, chair of the chemistry department.

The 2025 Kavli Frontiers of Science Symposium covered a wide array of topics, including obesity, batteries, quantum, space, biology, reproductive justice, seeing the world through different lenses and wildfire management. 

“The vast diversity of topics makes it exceptionally unique and provides a special opportunity to practice the skill of communicating effectively to a non-expert audience,” Tran Dominy said. “I had a lot of fun learning the latest developments presented by other Kavli Fellows and came away feeling completely recharged about my work, the current state of scientific research and its potential impact on humanity.”

Previous awards

Tran Dominy’s research team focuses on quantum materials. She received a prestigious Beckman Young Investigators Award from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation in 2023. She was the first recipient of the award from Clemson University and the first from a college or university in South Carolina.

The Beckman Young Investigators Program supports the country’s most promising young faculty members in the early stages of their academic careers in the chemical and life sciences, particularly to foster the invention of methods, instruments and materials that will open new avenues of research in science.

In 2024, Tran Dominy received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award focusing on a particular class of magnetic compounds that lack inversion symmetry in the structure. Her research team is researching how chemical bonding in these materials determines their physical properties.

Tran Dominy  joined the Clemson faculty in 2019 and was named Clemson University Junior Researcher of the Year in 2024.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Vietnam National University. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Houston. Prior to coming to Clemson, she completed a position as a postdoctoral research associate at Johns Hopkins University, Institute of Quantum Matter.