Philadelphia Archives

Harshit Pandey

Mr. Harshit Pandey is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bengaluru, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. His doctoral research focuses on the processing and development of inorganic and organic materials for battery applications, with significant emphasis on collaborative work with research groups across India and the world. It addresses key challenges for next-generation batteries through the exploration of advanced material chemistries and scalable approaches.

Before beginning his doctoral studies, Harshit completed his bachelor’s degree at Hindu College, University of Delhi, and earned a master’s degree in chemistry from the Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur. His work has been published in peer-reviewed international journals and presented at several national and international conferences. His research contributions were acknowledged through an international travel grant from the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, providing him the opportunity to present his work at the International Battery Association Annual Meeting, 2025, in Singapore.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Harshit is aiming to bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and industrial application by optimizing material processing and using advanced ultrasound techniques to monitor the physical and chemical health of batteries while they operate. Beyond his professional interests, he is a naturalist and a passionate mountaineer, enjoys nature and exploring the outdoors through trekking and hiking. He is also a guitarist and enjoys singing and songwriting.

Dorothy Sachdeva

Ms. Dorothy Sachdeva is a PhD candidate at the Materials Research Centre, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. Her doctoral research focuses on the synthesis of two-dimensional nanomaterials with precise control over their composition and morphology. She performs in-depth characterization to understand the chemical and phase transformation mechanism using advanced electron microscopy techniques.

She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemistry from Delhi University and IISc, Bengaluru, respectively. She is a recipient of the Prime Minister Research Fellowship from the Government of India, which funds her research at IISc, Bengaluru. She has publications in peer-reviewed international journals with high reach and has presented papers at national and international conferences.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, Dorothy is working with in situ electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. PtCu alloy nanoparticles nucleated on highly reduced SrTiO3 nanocubes deactivate for the preferential oxidation of CO to CO2 at higher temperatures. She is trying to identify the mechanism of deactivation under operando conditions, enabling her to visualize and analyze catalytic processes with high spatial and temporal resolution in real time. When not in the lab, she can be found reading, playing, and cooking. Dorothy loves spending time with her friends and family, and enjoys travelling and meeting people from various cultures.

Nitya Nand Gosvami

Dr. Nitya Nand Gosvami completed his BTech with honors in Metallurgical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology – Banaras Hindu University (IITBHU), India, in 2003 and completed his PhD at the National University of Singapore in 2008. In 2008, he joined the Leibniz Institute for New Materials (Saarbrücken, Germany) as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow. In 2010, he joined University College London (London, United Kingdom) as a Research Associate, jointly working with the London Center for Nanotechnology. In 2012, he moved to the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Pennsylvania (United States) as a Research Project Manager. In 2016, he joined the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (New Delhi, India), where he works as an Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Dr. Gosvami’s research is focused on the study of mechanical and tribological behavior of engineering materials, disordered systems, and bioinspired nanopatterned surfaces at the nanoscale, where his group is investigating fundamental mechanisms of friction and wear, lubrication, and tribochemical processes in sliding contacts at the liquid-solid interfaces.

As a Fulbright-Nehru scholar, Dr. Gosvami is aiming to develop atomic-scale insights into how nanoparticles, when incorporated into industrial lubricants, reduce friction and wear between sliding contacts of mechanical components, including internal combustion engine components, electric vehicle transmissions, and wind turbine bearings. The goal is to establish a scientific basis for developing next-generation environment-friendly and energy-efficient lubricant formulations, enabling the adoption of green technologies by addressing major reliability issues in electric vehicles and wind turbines.