Rate My Professor Donna Sheng

Donna Sheng is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at California State University, Northridge, where she has served on the faculty since 2000. She earned her B.S. degree in 1984 and Ph.D. in 1989 from Nanjing University. As a theoretical physicist specializing in condensed matter physics, Sheng employs computational methods to investigate strongly correlated electron systems, quantum phase transitions, and topological matter. Her research delves into exotic states of matter in two-dimensional quantum systems, encompassing the fractional quantum Hall effect, quantum spin Hall effect, topological insulators, and the natural emergence of supersymmetry in topological superconductors. These studies contribute to advancing understandings of quantum materials and their potential applications in topological quantum computing.

Sheng's prolific scholarly output includes highly influential publications such as "Quantum spin-Hall effect and topologically invariant Chern numbers" (Physical Review Letters, 2006), "Fractional quantum Hall effect in the absence of Landau levels" (Nature Communications, 2011), "Emergent space-time supersymmetry at the boundary of a topological phase" (Science, 2014), "Fractional quantum Hall effect of hard-core bosons in topological flat bands" (Physical Review Letters, 2011), "Time-reversal-symmetry-broken quantum spin Hall effect" (Physical Review Letters, 2011), and "Critical properties of the many-body localization transition" (Physical Review X, 2017). Her work has amassed over 14,000 citations on Google Scholar, underscoring her profound impact on the field. Sheng has received prestigious recognitions, including election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2025—the first such honor for a CSU faculty member in physics—Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2013 nominated by its Division of Condensed Matter Physics, and the CSUN Preeminent Scholarly Publications Award in 2012. She has also secured grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy to support her research on interacting systems and novel topological phases.