Banerjee Takes 3rd In Dean's Doctoral Research Award Competition

Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) graduate student and Ph.D. candidate Parag Banerjee, advised by MSE Professor Gary Rubloff (joint, Institute for Systems Research and Director, Maryland NanoCenter), was awarded third place in the 2010 Dean's Doctoral Research Award Competition for his dissertation, “Nano-Energy Devices."

To give top Clark School doctoral student researchers special recognition that will be valuable in launching their careers, and to show all students the importance of high quality engineering research, Clark School Dean and Farvardin Professor Darryll Pines created the Dean's Doctoral Research Award in 2009. Students submit their work through competitions at the department level, with winners from each advancing to the Dean's finals.

Banerjee, a John and Maureen Hendricks Energy Research Fellow, has worked extensively on nanostructured devices capable of storing and delivering energy, particularly from sources such as solar and wind, at much greater capacities than currently available—in some cases up to ten times more. He also specializes in improving manufacturing techniques aimed to make alternative energy components smaller and more affordable. His work with the Rubloff Group and the University of Maryland Energy Research Center has been widely published and recognized in top journals such as Nature Nanotechnology. Most recently, his work on the invention of a solar-powered circuit that does not require a solar cell was published in ACS Nano.

"I am really glad to see this recognition of Parag's superb work, which was also instrumental in developing the university's Energy Frontier Research Center," says Rubloff.

Last year, MSE graduate student Shenqiang Ren, advised by MSE professor Manfred Wuttig, won the competition for his research on multiferroic nanostructures.

To Learn More:

Graduate Student Profile: Parag Banerjee »

For More Information:

Visit the Rubloff Group web site »
Visit the Energy Frontier Research Center web site »
Visit the University of Maryland Energy Research Center web site »

Published May 6, 2010