Dr. Leopold's research involves studies of semiconducttor nanostructures fabricated in ultra-high vacuum using molecular beam epitaxy. His latest research focuses on studies of high quantum efficiency photocathodes made of atomically-tailored AlGaN/GaInN epitaxial heterostructures.

Dr. Leopold received his undergraduate degree in physics at Rochester Institute of Technology in 1977, and his Ph.D. in Physics at Washington University in 1983. After graduating Dr. Leopold held a postdoctoral position at Harvard University. Following this he became a Staff Scientist at the McDonnell Douglas Corporate Research Laboratories. In 1994 Dr. Leopold became an Associate Research Professor of Physics at Washington University. He is also a Fellow of the McDonnell Center for Space Sciences at Washington University.