The Pennsylvania State University Archives

Govind

Prof. Govind joined CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, as Scientist C in 2004 and was promoted to Scientist G in 2022. Since 2019, he has also served as a Professor at the Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research. His research has been recognised with several honours, including the Distinguished Lectureship Award and Medal from the Materials Research Society of India (MRSI), the IETE-CEOT Award, the NASI-Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award, and the DST-Young Scientist Award.

Prof. Govind is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Institute of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers, the Electron Microscopy Society of India, and an Associate Fellow of the Asia Pacific Academy of Materials. He received the BOYSCAST Fellowship from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, to serve as a visiting scientist at Rutgers University, USA, and the Yusuf Hamid International Exchange Fellowship from the Royal Society, UK, to serve as a visiting scientist at Cambridge University, UK. Prof. Govind has published over 430 research articles in international journals, as well as several books, book chapters, and patents.

As a Fulbright-Nehru scholar, Prof. Govind is developing a multisensory, integrated neuromorphic platform that emulates brain-inspired artificial neural networks for neuromorphic computing and environmental information processing. His work focuses on designing neuro-mimetic devices and memtransistors using 2D materials, and includes monolithic integration, stacking, and software architecture to deliver innovative tools for scientific and industrial applications.

Seema Rani

Ms. Seema Rani is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) Mohali. Her current research focuses on developing novel 2D metal chalcogenides-based sensors, electronics, and memory devices, aiming to contribute innovative solutions to advance these fields. Her research also extends to micro-electrochemistry methods and micro-electrocatalysis. Over the course of her doctoral studies, she has published more than ten research articles in reputed journals and presented her findings at numerous national and international conferences.

Seema holds a bachelor’s degree in science from BPS Women’s University, Khanpur Kalan, Haryana and a master’s degree in physics from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana. She has been a recipient of various scholarships throughout her academic journey and ranked fifth in her master’s program. Additionally, she qualified in the CSIR-UGC NET examination in physical sciences with an all-India rank of 141 and was awarded the CSIR-JRF fellowship. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, meditation, cooking, and reading.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow, Seema is aiming at developing advanced biomimetic eye systems with in-sensor computing capabilities, specifically mimicking the functionality of bipolar cells essential for visual processing.

Nipun Jain

Mr. Nipun Jain is a PhD candidate at the Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. His doctoral thesis focuses on developing a 3D bioprinted lungs-on-a-dish platform to investigate pulmonary fibrosis. He employs extrusion bioprinting and cultures the prepared lung tissue at an air-liquid interface which also incorporates advanced material characterizations to examine cellular structural morphology and functional expression.

Nipun holds a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi. He has completed multiple internship projects offered by the Indian Academy of Sciences prior to joining the PhD program at IISc. He is a recipient of the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) and has published several research and review papers. He has also participated and presented his work at various national and international conferences.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research fellow at The Pennsylvania State University, Nipun is integrating 3D bioprinting with microfluidics to provide more reproducible insights into disease progression for evaluating therapeutic efficacy. The insights gained from his research will contribute to translation of novel drug screening platforms for pulmonary fibrosis and other lung-related disorders. When not in the lab, he can be found reading non-fiction or playing games. He is a music enthusiast, enjoys playing the guitar and is fond of travelling to explore new places for food.