Karl Sandeman

Karl Sandeman is a Professor in the Physics Department of the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences at Brooklyn College, City University of New York. His research focuses on functional materials for energy applications, particularly in refrigeration and power generation through tailored phase transitions in magnetocaloric and barocaloric systems.

His educational background includes:

• B.A. and M.Sci. in Natural Sciences (Experimental and Theoretical Physics), University of Cambridge (1998)
• Ph.D. in Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics, University of Cambridge (2002)

Professor Sandeman's research examines structure-function relationships across all length scales in functional materials, with emphasis on caloric effects near critical points. He combines experimental and theoretical approaches to develop rare-earth-free cooling technologies, investigating spin crossover compounds, metamagnetic transitions, and magneto-elastic coupling mechanisms. His work bridges fundamental physics with practical energy applications.

Recent publications (2022-2024) reveal a clear trend toward barocaloric materials for solid-state cooling, with significant focus on spin crossover compounds and pressure-induced transitions. His research increasingly incorporates materials informatics for screening caloric materials while maintaining experimental validation through neutron diffraction and calorimetry.

Key scientific recognitions include:

• Royal Society University Research Fellow (2005-2013)
• Mercator Fellow on DFG Collaborative Research Centre 'HoMMage' (2020-2023)
• Society for Science and the Public Advocate for Underrepresented Students (2016-2017)

Professor Sandeman has secured substantial research funding including an NSF Major Research Instrumentation Grant for cryogen-free cooling systems, multiple PSC-CUNY grants for barocaloric research, and the €3.7M European Commission FP7 DRREAM project. He advises undergraduate and graduate students through thesis research courses while developing pedagogical approaches to improve physics education completion rates.

His research involves collaborations with Oak Ridge National Laboratory for neutron studies and coordination of international consortia including DRREAM and SSEEC, focusing on advancing caloric materials for efficient cooling applications.