Aerospace Engineering Alumnus Receives 2015 ASME Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award

Aerospace Engineering alumnus Nikhil A. Koratkar (Ph.D., '00) was awarded the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) 2015 Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award. The Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award recognizes an engineering graduate who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in mechanical engineering within ten to twenty years following graduation.

Koratkar is the John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Chair Professor in Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He is a winner of the NSF CAREER Award (2003), AHS Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Award (2004), RPI Early Career Award (2005) and the Electrochemical Society's SES Young investigator Award (2009).

His research has focused on the synthesis, characterization and application of nanoscale material systems. This includes graphene, carbon nanotubes, transition metal dichalcogenides, hexagonal boron nitride as well as metal and silicon nanostructures produced by a variety of techniques such as mechanical exfoliation, chemical vapor deposition and oblique angle sputter and e-beam deposition. In addition, he is studying the fundamental mechanical, electrical, thermal, magnetic and optical properties of these one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) materials and developing a variety of composites, coating and device applications of these low dimensional materials.

He has published over 130 archival journal papers, including five in Nature series journals. - See more at: http://news.rpi.edu/content/2015/05/12/nikhil-koratkar-honored-american-society-mechanical-engineering#sthash.kCefsQfw.dpuf

He has published over 130 archival journal papers, including five in Nature series journals. His work in nanostructured materials for lithium-ion batteries has resulted in a start-up company (Ener-Mat Technologies), aimed at commercializing graphene electrodes for next-generation energy storage solutions.

Koratkar will receive the award during the ASME Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in Houston, Texas, on November 15. Funding for the award is provided from the ASME Ward S. and Editha Jacobs Fund. The award honors Gustus L. Larson, ASME fellow and founder of Pi Tau Sigma at the University of Wisconsin.

Published May 19, 2015