Devleena Samanta is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry, an Associate Member of the Livestrong Cancer Institutes, and a member of the Texas Materials Institute at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). Her research centers on developing nanoscale tools to sense and control biocatalysis, advancing fundamental chemistry while enabling new applications in biology, medicine, and sustainability. She is the first UT Austin faculty member to receive the prestigious Packard Fellowship in chemistry, and her contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including a Scialog Fellowship, the Outstanding Researcher Award from the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN), and selection as a Hanna Gray Fellow Finalist by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In addition to her research, Devleena is a dedicated teacher and mentor. She has received two teaching awards at UT Austin, as well as the Outstanding Mentor Award from the IIN. For her contributions to UT Austin, she was appointed the William H. Tonn Endowed Professorial Fellow for the 2024-2025 academic year. She also serves on the Early Career Advisory Board of the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, a diamond open access journal.
Devleena earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stanford University in 2017 under the mentorship of Professor Richard N. Zare. She was supported by a Winston Chen Stanford Graduate Fellowship and a Center for Molecular Analysis and Design Fellowship. She then trained with Professor Chad A. Mirkin at Northwestern University as an IIN Postdoctoral Fellow.
Outside of science, Devleena enjoys dancing, playing badminton, and traveling the world with her husband Kinjal Basu. She has also trained in the Indian classical dance form Odissi and vocal Hindustani classical music for over 15 years and holds advanced diplomas in both.
Professional Appointments
The University of Texas at Austin (2021-)
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
Associate Member, Livestrong Cancer Institutes
Member, Texas Materials Institute
Northwestern University (2017-2021)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry
Advisor: Chad A. Mirkin
Education
Awards and Honors
2024 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering
Willian H. Tonn Endowed Professorial Fellow, UT Austin
Natural Sciences Foundation Teaching Excellence Award, UT Austin
2023 College of Natural Sciences Teaching Excellence Award, UT Austin
Scialog Fellow for Advanced Bioimaging
2021, 2023, 2024 Rom Rhome Professional Development Award
2021Rising Science and Technology Acquisition and Retention (STARs) Award
2020Outstanding Research Mentor Award, International Institute for Nanotechnology
2019 Outstanding Researcher Award, International Institute for Nanotechnology
International Institute for Nanotechnology Postdoctoral Fellowship
HHMI Hanna Gray Fellow Finalist Award ($10,000)
AIChE Women in Chemical Engineering Travel Award ($1,000)
2017Merck Biopharma Innovation Cup Finalist (33 finalists out of 1400 applicants worldwide)
2016 Best Poster Award, Stanford Polymer Collective Poster Symposium, Stanford, CA
Best Poster Award, Global Innovation Festival 2016 at DGIST, South Korea
Global Innovation Festival 2016 Travel Award from DGIST, South Korea ($2,000)
2015Best Poster Award, Stanford Polymer Collective Poster Symposium, Stanford, CA
Winston Chen Stanford Graduate Fellowship
2013 Center for Molecular Analysis and Design Fellowship at Stanford
2010 Graduated First Class with Honors in Chemistry
2008Project Oriented Chemical Education Fellowship, JNCASR, India (~10 students awarded nationwide)
2005Prof. S. N. Bose Birth Centenary Award, Calcutta Mathematical Society, Kolkata, India