UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Lukas Muechler, an assistant professor of chemistry and of physics in the Eberly College of Science at Penn State, has received the 2024 Department of Energy (DOE) Early Career Research Award for his project titled “Leveraging Breakthroughs in Topological Physics to Design Better Photoswitches.” Muechler is among 91 researchers chosen for this prestigious award, which provides five years of continuous funding to scientists from various disciplines within the DOE Office of Science research programs. Collectively, these recipients will share $138 million in funding for research spanning a broad range of topics, with Muechler’s project specifically funded by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences.