Field of Study India: Materials Science

Pijush Ghosh

Prof. Pijush Ghosh is a professor in the Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Madras. His research group focuses on design and fabrication of stimuli responsive soft actuators. Solvent and light are the two major stimuli that his group is working on. He applies molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the underlying mechanism involved in solvent triggered actuation and polymer-solvent interaction. His group also works on developing polymer-clay and polymer-concrete interfaces for different civil engineering projects. Mechanical investigation of cluster crystals is another area of his research interest.

Prof. Ghosh received his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Bengal Engineering College, Shibpur Howrah, MTech from IIT Kanpur and Ph.D. from North Dakota State University. He did a brief postdoc at Johns Hopkins University. He worked for about three years in URS corporation before joining IIT Madras in 2011.

Besides research and teaching, Prof. Ghosh takes a deep interest in rural education. He has started an initiative called ‘Teach to Learn’ (www.teachtolearn.co.in)  about 10 years back, which focus on connecting the premier institute of the country with rural schools applying different education models.

G.L. Samuel

Dr. G.L. Samuel is a distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, where he leads the Centre of Excellence for Advanced Laser Material Processing and Surface Engineering. He completed his PhD at IIT Madras in 2001 and pursued Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Kyungpook National University, South Korea, before joining the faculty at IIT Madras in 2005.

With expertise in Micro Manufacturing, Advanced Laser Material Processing, and Metrology, Dr. Samuel teaches a range of courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels including Automation in Manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence, Micro Manufacturing Technology, Machining and Metrology, as well as Modelling and Simulation.

Dr. Samuel has a strong publication record and holds patents in various areas of manufacturing. He has organized continuing education programmes, workshops, and international conferences, fostering academic development and collaborations with universities worldwide, including Texas A&M University.

As a part of the Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence fellowship, Dr. Samuel will conduct research at Texas A&M, focusing on developing digital twins for smart factory entities. The project aims to create a virtual representation that mimics the behaviour of the physical machines, enabling real-time monitoring, analysis, and optimization of all the processes in an autonomous factory.

Rahul Mangal

Dr. Rahul Mangal serves as an associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Kanpur. He completed his PhD in 2016 from Cornell University with Prof. Lynden Archer, where he worked on exploring the structural and dynamic characteristics of nano-particle polymer composites. After his Ph.D., Dr. Mangal did his postdoctoral research with Prof. Nicholas Abbott at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he explored how the anisotropic properties of liquid crystals influence the behavior of active colloids.

Dr. Mangal’s team at IIT Kanpur is conducting experimental investigations on a diverse range of problems associated with soft matter systems, polymers, and colloids. Their recent focus is on the synthesis and dynamics of artificial micro-swimmers in complex environments.

During his Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence (Research and Teaching) fellowship at Cornell University, Ithaca, NJ, Dr. Mangal is investigating the synthesis of hybrid self-propulsion of Janus colloids and the rheological impact of active JCs on the viscoelastic medium. Through this project, Dr. Mangal will strive to facilitate the ongoing scientific endeavors in controlling the motion of artificial micro-swimmers in microscopic domains for their potential applications in cargo/ drug delivery, bio-diagnostics, and tuning material properties using active colloids as additives. Dr. Mangal is also set to teach a course on polymer physics at Cornell, aiming to foster a synergy between teaching and research.