Hiroaki Maekawa

Biography

Hiroaki Maekawa, Ph.D., is a Specialist in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine. He received his Ph.D. in molecular science and material engineering from Kobe University in 2004, where his dissertation focused on vibrational dynamics in liquid phases studied by infrared nonlinear spectroscopy under the supervision of Professor Keisuke Tominaga. Maekawa has been at UC Irvine since 2004, progressing from Visiting Postdoctoral Scholar to his current position.

Maekawa's research centers on the development and application of advanced nonlinear optical spectroscopy techniques, particularly two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectroscopy and sum-frequency generation microscopy. His work has contributed to understanding peptide secondary structures, with studies distinguishing between 3₁₀-helical and α-helical conformations through spectral signatures. He has also investigated vibrational dynamics in molecular systems, nonlinear optical properties of nanostructured materials including gold nanocrescent arrays, and charge carrier dynamics in quantum-dot films using femtosecond pump-probe techniques.

Throughout his career at UC Irvine, Maekawa has been involved in outreach activities, including designing and presenting science demonstrations for the UCI CaSTL program at venues such as the Boys and Girls Club in Santa Ana and the Girls STEAM Conference. He has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications and contributed to book chapters on vibrational dynamics and two-dimensional optical spectroscopy. Maekawa is a member of the American Chemical Society.

Education

• Ph.D. in Molecular Science and Material Engineering, Kobe University, 2004
• M.S. in Chemistry, Kobe University, 2001
• B.S. in Chemistry, Kobe University, 1999