Rao V. Mulpuri

Rao V. Mulpuri is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at George Mason University's School of Information Technology and Engineering. He joined GMU in September 1984 and attained the rank of Professor in September 1993. His research has focused on semiconductor materials and device processing, with particular expertise in ion implantation technology for compound semiconductors.

Dr. Mulpuri earned his BTech in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (1977), MTech in Materials Science from the Indian Institute of Technology (1979), and MS (1983) and PhD (1985) in Electrical Engineering from Oregon State University.

His research spans semiconductor device physics, with emphasis on large bandgap materials like silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). Key areas include ion implantation doping, ohmic contact development, microwave annealing techniques, and fabrication of high-power/high-temperature devices. More recently, his work has expanded into microfluidic systems for biological applications and infrared focal plane arrays.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on microwave processing of wide-bandgap semiconductors, particularly examining strain effects in GaN heterostructures, optimizing SiC device performance, and developing novel annealing techniques. His work bridges fundamental materials science with practical device applications.

• Outstanding Research Award, School of Information Technology and Engineering, George Mason University (2002)
• Engineering Excellence Award, Telugu Association of North America (TANA) (2005)

Dr. Mulpuri has secured over $3 million in research funding through 22 consecutive years of support (1987-2009), including nine consecutive NSF awards plus funding from ONR, ARO, NASA, NRL, and NIST. He has advised 12 PhD students to completion (with 2 more in progress) and 13 MS students, with graduates employed at major technology companies including Intel, GE, and IBM. He has served as a Program Director at NSF and reviewed numerous proposals and journal articles.

His laboratory has established strong collaborations with government research facilities including Naval Research Laboratory, Army Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and GE Corporate Research, focusing on semiconductor device development for defense and commercial applications.