Harish Verma | Material Science | Research Excellence Award

Mr. Harish Verma | Material Science | Research Excellence Award

Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) | India

Harish Verma is a dedicated researcher in the Department of Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, contributing significantly to advanced materials research with an academic profile supported by 109 citations, an h-index of 7, and an i10-index of 2. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in Physics with a focus on undoped and doped LaFeO₃, rGO, and MXene-based nanocomposites for high-performance supercapacitor applications, integrating Density Functional Theory, artificial intelligence, and machine learning simulations. His postgraduate training includes an M.Phil. in Physics with specialization in nanotechnology and an M.Sc. in Physics with electronics, complemented by multiple research projects involving nanomaterial synthesis, gas sensors, and magnetic fluid preparation. He has contributed to numerous peer-reviewed publications across reputed journals, presenting his work in national and international conferences, along with earning recognition for best oral presentations. His research interests encompass perovskite oxides, graphene-based materials, MXenes, dielectric ceramics, energy storage devices, optoelectronics, and solid-state physics. He has hands-on experience with advanced characterization techniques and material fabrication methods. He has also been associated with a funded project supported by a premier defense research board. Committed to innovative energy solutions, he continues to advance the field of functional materials for next-generation storage technologies.

Profile: Google Scholar 

Featured Publications

Verma, H., Tripathi, A., & Upadhyay, S. (2024). A comprehensive study of dielectric, modulus, impedance, and conductivity of SrCeO₃ synthesized by the combustion method. International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology, 21(4), 3032–3047.

Verma, S., Das, T., Verma, S., Pandey, V. K., Pandey, S. K., Verma, H., & Verma, B. (2025). Hierarchically architecture of Ru-doped multichannel carbon nanotubes embedded with graphene oxide for supercapacitor material with long-term cyclic stability. Fuel, 381, 133517.

Verma, S., Maurya, A., Verma, H., Singh, R., & Bhoi, B. (2024). Unveiling the characteristics of MgAl0.5Fe1.5O₄ spinel ferrite: A study of structural, optical, and dielectric properties. Chemical Physics Impact, 9, 100674.

Verma, H., Kumar, P., Satyarthi, S. K., Bhattacharya, B., Singh, A. K., & Upadhyay, S. (2025). Investigation of La₂FeO₄–rGO nanocomposite electrode material for symmetric and asymmetric supercapacitor. Journal of Energy Storage, 114, 115849.

Nirala, G., Katheriya, T., Yadav, D., Verma, H., & Upadhyay, S. (2023). The evolution of coil-less inductive behaviour in La-doped Sr₂MnO₄. Emergent Materials, 6(6), 1951–1962.

RANGANATHAN SHANMUGAM | Marine Engineering | Best Academic Researcher Award

Dr. RANGANATHAN SHANMUGAM | Marine Engineering | Best Academic Researcher Award

 ACADEMY OF MARITIME EDUCATION AND TRAINING-DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY, India

Author Profile

SCOPUS

GOOGLE SCHOLAR

🎓 EARLY ACADEMIC PURSUITS

Dr. S. Ranganathan, born on 10th December 1974, embarked on his academic journey with a strong foundation in Mechanical Engineering. He completed his B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Coimbatore Institute of Technology, followed by a postgraduate degree in Engineering Design (M.E.) from Kongu Engineering College. His academic excellence culminated in a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from SCSVMV University, Kanchipuram, with a specialization in Composite Materials and Hot Machining of AISI 316 Stainless Steel. His educational trajectory reflects a deep-rooted commitment to advanced mechanical systems, analytical design, and manufacturing processes.

🏢 PROFESSIONAL ENDEAVORS

Dr. Ranganathan brings over 27 years of teaching and research experience, having served in distinguished institutions such as:

  • Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman College of Engineering (Lecturer, 1997–2005),

  • SCSVMV University (Senior Lecturer),

  • Saveetha School of Engineering (Professor and IQAC Coordinator),

  • GMR Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh (Assistant Professor – SG),

  • AMET University, Chennai (Professor and presently serving since 2022).

He has held significant academic administrative roles including Head of Academics, IQAC Coordinator, Doctoral Committee Member, Board of Studies Member, and Convocation Coordinator, highlighting his leadership in academic policy, quality assurance, and curriculum governance.

📚 CONTRIBUTIONS AND RESEARCH FOCUS IN MARINE ENGINEERING

Dr. Ranganathan’s multidisciplinary research intersects mechanical systems, material science, and marine engineering. His involvement at AMET University—India’s premier maritime institution—extends his mechanical expertise into marine applications, especially in composite materials for shipbuilding, vibration monitoring in hard turning of marine-grade metals, and innovations in heat-pipe-based cooling systems.

His design patent “A Spin Plate Cyclonic Filter”, and work on agriculture and product recognition systems, reflect the translational depth of his engineering solutions into diverse sectors, including marine operations.

🏅 ACADEMIC CITATIONS, ACCOLADES AND RECOGNITION

Dr. S. Ranganathan has over 1,484 citations, an h-index of 13, and an i10-index of 17, reflecting his strong research impact in mechanical and composite materials engineering. He holds three granted design patents and has published multiple utility patents. Recognized for academic leadership, he serves as a Doctoral Committee Member (Anna University), Board of Studies Member (SCSVMV), and IQAC Coordinator. He has also been a university examiner, paper setter, and convocation coordinator, further contributing through lab manual development and examination governance roles at leading technical institutions.

🌍 IMPACT AND INFLUENCE

With a cumulative impact factor of 51.085, 1484+ citations, and an h-index of 13, Dr. Ranganathan has made measurable contributions to material characterization, tribology, and optimization techniques such as Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). He has also supervised multiple Ph.D. scholars and is recognized for his in-depth work on hybrid MMCs and nano-composites, contributing to the materials knowledge pool essential for advanced manufacturing and marine industries.

🧭 LEGACY AND FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS

As a professor, mentor, and innovator, Dr. Ranganathan’s legacy lies in:

  • The development of new composite fabrication techniques

  • Promoting AI-integrated modeling tools (ANN, Design Expert, PRO-E, SolidWorks, ANSYS) in mechanical research

  • Mentoring Ph.D. and PG students in material design, wear analysis, and hot machining

  • Establishing research ecosystems in academic institutions

Going forward, his research is poised to address sustainability in manufacturing, eco-friendly materials for marine environments, and advanced process optimization techniques aligned with Industry 5.0 goals

 ✅CONCLUSION

Dr. S. Ranganathan exemplifies the fusion of academic excellence, applied engineering, and impactful research. His profound expertise in mechanical engineering, composite materials, and manufacturing processes, especially their application in marine and industrial domains, has significantly advanced both theoretical understanding and practical innovations. His continued dedication to mentorship, academic integrity, and translational research ensures a lasting contribution to the global engineering community.

🔬NOTABLE PUBLICATION:

Tribological behavior of aluminium nanocomposites studied by application of response surface methodology
Authors: I. Manivannan, S. Ranganathan, S. Gopalakannan
Journal: Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials

Tribological and surface behavior of silicon carbide reinforced aluminum matrix nanocomposite
Authors: I. Manivannan, S. Ranganathan, S. Gopalakannan, S. Suresh, K. Nagakarthigan, R. Jubendradass
Journal: Surfaces and Interfaces, Volume 8, pp. 127–136
Year: 2017

Evaluation of Machining parameters of hot turning of stainless steel (type 316) by applying ANN and RSM
Authors: S. Ranganathan, T. Senthilvelan, G. Sriram
Journal: Journal of Materials and Manufacturing Process, Vol. 25(10), pp. 1131–1141
Year: 2010

Evaluation of Mechanical and Wear properties of hybrid aluminum matrix composites
Authors: T. Rajmohan, K. Palanikumar, S. Ranganathan
Journal: Transactions of Nonferrous Society of China, Vol. 23, pp. 2509−2517
Year: 2013

Optimisation of machining parameters in turning of Al-SiC-Gr hybrid metal matrix composites using Grey-fuzzy algorithm
Authors: P. Suresh, K. Marimuthu, S. Ranganathan, T. Rajmohan
Journal: Transactions of Nonferrous Society of China, Vol. 24, pp. 2805−2814
Year: 2014

Hemadri Bandhu | Optical materials | Best Researcher Award

Ms. Hemadri Bandhu | Optical materials | Best Researcher Award

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India

Author Profile

🎓 EARLY ACADEMIC PURSUITS

Ms. Hemadri Bandhu’s academic foundation reflects an exceptional trajectory in science and technology. She excelled from her early schooling years, securing:

  • Class X (2014): CGPA of 10 from Kendriya Vidyalaya No.2 AFS Tezpur

  • Class XII (2016): 94% from Sri Chaitanya Techno School, Visakhapatnam

Her passion for electronics and innovation led her to pursue:

  • B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from NIT Srinagar (2020) — Graduated with a CGPA of 8.72/10, standing 2nd in her batch.

🏢 PROFESSIONAL ENDEAVORS

Currently positioned as a Research Scholar at the Semiconductor Devices Lab, IIT Kanpur, Ms. Bandhu has been active in:

  • Lithography-free fabrication techniques using Direct Laser Writing (DLW)

  • Development and demonstration of oxide-based electronic and optical devices

She has also completed her M.Tech and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Microelectronics and VLSI, with a CGPA of 8.79/10.

📚 CONTRIBUTIONS AND RESEARCH FOCUS ON OPTICAL MATERIALS

Ms. Hemadri Bandhu’s research focuses on advanced optical materials with specialization in phase-change materials like Vanadium Dioxide (VO₂) and transparent conductive oxides such as ITO. She has pioneered lithography-free direct laser writing techniques for fabricating reconfigurable optical and electronic devices.

Her work on infrared (IR) emissivity tuning using unpatterned ITO thin films and VO₂-based IR patterns contributes significantly to adaptive IR applications, including thermal camouflage, smart windows, and wearable sensors.

She is skilled in thin film fabrication, infrared imaging, and optical characterization, with multiple high-impact publications in ACS Applied Optical Materials, Optical Materials, and Optics & Laser Technology.

🏅 Accolades and Recognition

  • Junior Research Fellowship (2020) – Awarded by MoE, Govt. of India

  • Academic Excellence (2016–2020) – Ranked 2nd in the ECE batch at NIT Srinagar

🌍 IMPACT AND INFLUENCE

Ms. Bandhu’s work in oxide material tuning for IR devices addresses next-gen adaptive electronics, thermal camouflage, and smart photonic systems. Her contributions are poised to influence:

  • Green electronics

  • Neuromorphic computing

  • Optoelectronic devices

  • Future bio-integrated sensors and wearable health monitors

🧭 LEGACY AND FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS

Ms. Hemadri Bandhu is carving a niche in direct-write nanofabrication and oxide-phase manipulation for reconfigurable technologies. Her interdisciplinary skills could:

  • Bridge electronics with biotechnology

  • Advance on-chip tunable IR detectors

  • Contribute to biosensing platforms and DNA detection through optical modulation

 ✅CONCLUSION

Ms. Hemadri Bandhu stands as a promising materials scientist and semiconductor researcher with a vision aligned toward reconfigurable, lithography-free devices. Her contributions are not only advancing material sciences but also paving pathways for next-gen flexible and adaptive systems.

 🔬NOTABLE PUBLICATION:

Title: Lithography-free fabrication of Vanadium Dioxide and its devices using direct laser writing
Authors: H. Bandhu, P. Ashok, D.P. Khandapu, A. Verma
Journal: Optics & Laser Technology
Year: 2023

Title: Active and passive infrared emittance tuning using optically transparent unpatterned ITO thin films
Authors: H. Bandhu, P. Ashok, A. Verma
Journal: Optical Materials
Year: 2024

Title: Reconfigurable Infrared (IR) Emissivity of VO₂ Patterns Fabricated via Maskless Laser Writing for Adaptive IR Applications
Authors: H. Bandhu, A. Verma
Journal: ACS Applied Optical Materials
Year: 2025

Title: Transparent Metamaterial Absorber Fabrication by Pulsed-DC Magnetron Sputtering
Authors: S. Bhattacharya, H. Bandhu, A. Verma, J. Ramkumar, K.V. Srivastava
Journal: 2023 IEEE Microwaves, Antennas, and Propagation Conference (MAPCON)
Year: 2023