Johnson Samuel

Johnson Samuel is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He serves as Director of the Nano/Micro-scale Manufacturing and Material Design Lab (NanoM3 Design Lab), focusing on advanced manufacturing and material design. His research is funded by NSF, NYSERDA, DOD, and industry partners. He holds a PhD from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2009), advised by Prof. Shiv Kapoor and Prof. Richard DeVor.

Research interests span nanoscale manufacturing, biocompatible materials, and sustainable production systems. He develops novel composites for energy harvesting, biomedical applications, and additive manufacturing. Key innovations include graphene-enhanced cutting fluids, multi-robot WAAM systems, and bio-inspired hydrogel scaffolds.

Notable achievements include the NSF CAREER Award (2014), World Economic Forum Young Scientist recognition (2016), and Rensselaer's Research Excellence Award (2016). Teaching accolades include the 2014 Class of 1951 Teaching Award and 2015 Engineering Education Innovation Award.

• Lab: NanoM3 Design Lab at RPI
• Outreach: Lego-based manufacturing education modules for K-12 students
• Key Sponsors: NSF, NY State Energy Research and Development Authority, DARPA, Boeing

Research outputs include over 80 peer-reviewed articles and 4 patents, with work featured in journals like Advanced Materials and International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacturing.