Judit Romhányi

Biography

Judit Romhányi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine, where she has served since July 2019. She earned her Ph.D. in Physics from Budapest University of Technology and Economics in 2012, focusing on exotic ordering and multipole excitations in anisotropic systems, and completed her diploma (equivalent to M.Sc.) at the same institution in 2006. Prior to joining UCI, Romhányi held postdoctoral positions at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research in Dresden, the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, where she also served as a Staff Scientist from 2017 to 2019.

Romhányi's research focuses on theoretical condensed matter physics, particularly quantum magnetism, topological phases, and multiferroic materials. She has authored 24 peer-reviewed publications in journals including Physical Review Letters, Physical Review B, and Nature Communications. Her work explores topics such as spin-orbit coupling in quantum magnets, topological excitations, and magnetoelectric effects. Romhányi has received significant funding for her research, including an NSF CAREER grant ($687,867, 2022-2026), a Hellman Fellowship Award ($50,000, 2021-2022), and UCI MRSEC Seed Funding ($40,000, 2023-2024). She has presented her research at over 20 invited conferences and delivered numerous invited seminars at institutions worldwide.

At UCI, Romhányi teaches undergraduate and graduate courses including Mathematical Physics, Thermal Physics, and Condensed Matter Physics. She currently advises three graduate students and has mentored several undergraduate researchers. Romhányi contributes to the scientific community through her service as a Member-at-Large of the APS GMAG Topical Group on Magnetism and its Applications, as an ISIS Facility Access Panel Member, and as a reviewer for NSF and DOE grant applications. She is also active in diversity and inclusion efforts, serving on the APS Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Alliance team and participating in the APS Bridge Program as a faculty mentor.

Education

• Ph.D. in Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 2012
• Diploma in Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 2006

Distinctions

• NSF CAREER Grant, National Science Foundation, 2022
• JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 2016
• Hellman Fellowship Award, Hellman Foundation, 2021
• BIEP Short-term visitor award, Kyoto University, 2008