Graduate Student Seminar
March 14, 2025
10:00 a.m. ET
McConomy Auditorium, First Floor Cohon University Center
A Journey from Atoms to Materials: Computationally-Guided Discovery and Design of Functional Materials
Technological developments often rely on specifically designed materials and molecules. The increasing pace of technology development, coupled with rising energy needs and climate challenges, requires faster approaches for materials discovery. Historically, materials have been discovered by trial-and-error approaches that rely on chemical intuition. Designing materials with tailored properties is challenging because of the astronomical number of possible compounds and structures, and materials behaviors that do not adhere to standard chemical intuition. Computations have made great strides in accelerating materials development, but many challenges remain. We are addressing some of these challenges, including how to bridge the gap between theoretical predictions and real materials. In this talk, I will share our latest work on the discovery and design of wurtzite ferroelectrics, and modeling of defects and disorder in materials, including wide bandgap semiconductors and solid electrolytes.
Prashun Gorai
Assistant Professor
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Dr. Gorai is an Assistant Professor in Chemical & Biological Engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and holds a joint appointment at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He received his bachelor’s degree from IIT Madras (India) and his PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Colorado School of Mines and NREL. Dr. Gorai was previously a research assistant professor at Mines. His research team uses quantum-chemical calculations, high-throughput computing, and machine learning to discover and design functional materials for energy conversion and storage, next-generation microelectronics, and environmental sustainability. He closely collaborates with experimentalists in the US and internationally. The International Thermoelectric Society awarded him the Young Investigator Award in 2022, and the Royal Society of Chemistry (Materials Horizons) recognized him as an Emerging Investigator in 2020. He is a recipient of the Chemistry of Materials Lectureship and Best Paper Award 2023.
Upcoming Events
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February 14 2025
10:00 AM ET
Materials Science and Engineering
"Epitaxial integration of dissimilar semiconductors for infrared optoelectronics," presented by Kunal Mukherjee, Stanford University
McConomy Auditorium, First Floor Cohon University Center
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February 21 2025
10:00 AM ET
Materials Science and Engineering
presented by Andrew Goretsky, ADL Philadelphia
McConomy Auditorium, First Floor Cohon University Center
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February 28 2025
10:00 AM ET
Materials Science and Engineering
Extreme mechanics and manufacturing of materials across scales, presented by Yu Zou, University of Toronto
McConomy Auditorium, First Floor Cohon University Center
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March 21 2025
10:00 AM ET
Materials Science and Engineering
Thermophysical and Thermochemical Properties of Transition Metal Diborides up to and above 3000 degrees, presented by Scott J. McCormack, University of California, Davis
McConomy Auditorium, First Floor Cohon University Center
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March 28 2025
10:00 AM ET
Materials Science and Engineering
Deciphering microscopic mechanisms driving assembly and flow of soft materials, presented by Vikram Jadhao, Indiana University, Bloomington
McConomy Auditorium, First Floor Cohon University Center
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April 11 2025
10:00 AM ET
Materials Science and Engineering
The Green Steel Revolution, presented by Sara Hornby-Anderson
McConomy Auditorium, First Floor Cohon University Center