Dr. Nicola Spaldin

Professor

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Biography

Nicola Spaldin studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, obtaining a B.A. in 1991. She then moved to the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned her PhD in Chemistry in 1996. Following this, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Applied Physics Department at Yale University before returning to California to join UC Santa Barbara as an Assistant Professor in 1997. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2002, and then to Full Professor in 2006, staying until 2010 when she moved to ETH Zurich as a Professor and Chair of Materials Theory. Spaldin has held visiting professorships at various prestigious institutions, including the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, the Department of Earth Sciences at Cambridge University, and the Materials Theory Division at Uppsala University. Her research focuses on Materials Theory, specifically the physics of novel materials that hold potential technological importance, contributing to the development of new theoretical methods and the design of new materials with specific functionalities. She has a particular interest in magnetoelectric multiferroics and transition-metal oxides. Spaldin has received numerous awards for her contributions to the field, including the ETH Zurich Golden Owl Award for Teaching Excellence, Europhysics Prize, and several fellowships from prestigious societies, reflecting her impact on materials science.

Research Interests

Experience

Visiting Miller Professor

2025-01-01 — 2025-06-30

UC Berkeley, Department of Physics • Berkeley, CA, USA

Professor and Chair of Materials Theory

2010-01-01 — Present

ETH Zürich, Department of Materials • Zürich, Switzerland

Visiting Professor

2010-04-01 — 2010-08-31

Uppsala University, Department of Materials Physics • Uppsala, Sweden

Visiting Miller Professor

2007-01-01 — 2007-06-30

UC Berkeley, Department of Materials Science and Engineering • Berkeley, CA, USA

Professor

2006-01-01 — 2010-01-01

University of California, Santa Barbara, Materials Department • Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Visiting Professor

2003-03-01 — 2003-06-30

Cambridge University, Department of Earth Sciences • Cambridge, UK

Associate Professor

2002-01-01 — 2006-01-01

University of California, Santa Barbara, Materials Department • Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Assistant Professor

1997-01-01 — 2002-01-01

University of California, Santa Barbara, Materials Department • Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Postdoctoral Researcher

1996-01-01 — 1997-01-01

Yale University, Applied Physics Department • New Haven, CT, USA

Awards

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Carus Medal Prize

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CNRS Fellow-Ambassadeur

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Doctor of Science (honoris causa)

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ETH Zurich Golden Owl Award for Teaching Excellence

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Miller Institute Visiting Professorship

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Lise Meitner Award

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Europhysics Prize

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Hamburg Prize

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IUPAP Magnetism Award Néel Medal

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ETH Zurich Golden Owl Award for Teaching Excellence

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ERC Synergy Grant

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Swiss Science Prize Marcel Benoist

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Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher

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Lise Meitner Lectureship

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L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Prize

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Mid-Career Award

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Koerber European Science Prize

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Outstanding Referee

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ETH Zurich Golden Owl Award for Teaching Excellence

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Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher (2014-2017)

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ERC Advanced Grant

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Max Rössler Prize

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McGroddy Prize for New Materials

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NSF American Competitiveness Innovation Fellow

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Miller Institute Visiting Professorship

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Research Fellowship

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Distinguished Teaching Award

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Young Investigator Award

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POWRE Award

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Young Innovator Award

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Junior Faculty Fellowship

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Graduate Student Award

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Graduate Student Award

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Fellowship

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Fellowship

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Fulbright Scholarship

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Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Awards

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Prize

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Award

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Award

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Scholarship

Courses

Quantum Mechanics Solid State Physics II Joint Group Seminar

Requirements for ETH Zurich

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.4
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Total
Required:100
GRE General
Verbal
Required:159
Verbal Percentile
Required:80
Quantitative
Required:168
Quantitative Percentile
Required:81
Analytical Writing
Required:4.5
Writing Percentile
Required:85
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in a related field (Engineering, Natural Sciences, or Mathematics) Minimum 180 ECTS credits Subject-specific knowledge equivalent to ETH Bachelor's programs
Application Checklist
  • Bachelor's degree diploma or transcript
  • Official academic transcripts
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Letter of Motivation (1 page)
  • Two academic recommendation letters
  • English language proficiency certificate
  • GRE General Test (for non-EU/EFTA applicants)
Specialization Notes

The GRE is mandatory for students who did not obtain their Bachelor's degree in an EU/EFTA state. Some departments (e.g., Computer Science) have specific ECTS credit requirements in core subjects.