Steering Committee and Partners

Pawan Tyagi, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering | 202.274.6601, ptyagi@udc.edu

Dr. Pawan Tyagi is the PI for this NSF-CREST funded CNRE. As a CNRE PI, he provides leadership for integrating nanotechnology in education at all levels to broaden the scope of CNRE nanotechnology research. He leads:

• Purchase new equipment for Center of Nanotechnology for continuous enhancement
• Maintain Nanoscale Fabrication Laboratory +Nanoscale Measurement Laboratory
• Organize monthly meeting, review facilitate co-PIs work to meet CNRE mission
• Recruit and supervise CNRE staff on day to day basis: Lab Engineer, Grant Coordinator, Postdoc.
• Conduct grant evaluation by external evaluator (Quality Measure, Dr. Gwen Lee Thomas).
• Conduct External Advisory board meeting
• Conduct workshops on Positive/Emotional intelligence.

Kate Klein, Ph.D., Chair and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering | 202.274.7131, kate.klein@udc.edu

Dr. Kate Klein brings a wealth of knowledge in materials science and skills in microscopy and microanalysis to the CREST center and leads the 2nd project on additive manufacturing. Dr. Klein also oversees CNRE student training in various NIST divisions via different pathways including NIST Prep. Along with serving on the additive manufacturing project, she leads the CNRE educational and outreach components that focuses on recruiting, retaining, and graduating students from underserved minority populations (ME chair role). Dr. Klein also supports GRFP training under CNRE. Initiate Nanotechnology concentration for undergraduate and graduate students in ME department.

Jiajun Xu, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering | 202.274.5048, jiajun.xu@udc.edu

Dr. Jiajun Xu is a lead researcher of the 3rd subproject in nanoscale heat transfer. Dr. Xu manages (i) UDC’s state-of-the-art nanoscale heat transfer laboratory he set up with the help of an NSF Research Initiation Grant and (ii) Maintain EOSINT-M280 metal additive manufacturing machine to support subproject, (iii) conduct CNRE’s student competitions (NASA Rover and Student Poster competitions), and (iv) arrange students’ research exposure in the NIST and NRL Conduct summer high school outreach activities

Hongmei Dang, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering | 202.274.5836, hongmei.dang@udc.edu

Dr. Hongmei Dang is a faculty in the Electrical Engineering. Her doctoral research background in nanowire-based and thin film based solar cells and devices will benefit subproject 1(Molecular Spintronics). She possesses knowledge of temperature dependent transport studies, capacitance-voltage, nanoelectronics devices, and electronics device modeling and will manage UDC’s device characterization laboratory. She also teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in nanotechnology. Co-PI Dr. Dang manages the monthly seminar series at UDC.

Devdas Shetty, Ph.D. , Dean and Professor of Mechanical Engineering | 202.274.5033, devdas.shetty@udc.edu

Dr. Devdas Shetty, Dean of SEAS, supports the additive manufacturing project and leads graduate-level advanced manufacturing related course(s). He interfaces with the university administration for institutional support to smoothly conduct the proposed CNRE research and ensure its long-term operation and sustainability.