Pioneer in Nanotechnology and Materials Science
Dr. Pulickel Ajayan is a globally recognized materials scientist and pioneer in nanotechnology, known for his groundbreaking contributions to carbon nanotubes, nanomaterials, and advanced materials research. He serves as the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Engineering at Rice University and has been the founding chair of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering since 2014.
Dr. Ajayan earned his B.Tech in Metallurgical Engineering from Banaras Hindu University and a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University. His international research career includes appointments at NEC Corporation in Japan, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides in France, and the Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung in Germany as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow.
Before joining Rice University in 2007, Dr. Ajayan was a faculty member at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where he held the Henri Burlage Chair Professorship in Engineering.
His research focuses on nanostructures, nanocomposites, energy storage materials, nanoscale systems, and structure–property relationships in advanced materials. Widely regarded as one of the pioneers of carbon nanotube research, Dr. Ajayan has made significant contributions to the development of next-generation nanomaterials and their applications in energy, electronics, and engineering. He has authored one book and published more than 1,000 scientific journal papers, making him one of the most highly cited researchers in materials science and nanotechnology.