Siddha Pimputkar

Siddha Pimputkar is an Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Lehigh University. Previously, he spent a decade at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) as a graduate student and postdoctoral researcher under Nobel Laureate Shuji Nakamura and Jim Speck. His research focuses on synthesizing functional inorganic materials for advanced technologies, including wide-band gap semiconductors and photoactive materials for energy sustainability. He advocates for innovation in equipment design to push research boundaries and emphasizes patience in achieving long-term research goals.

Education:

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology
• Ph.D. in Materials Science, UCSB

Research Interests: Siddha’s work centers on developing single-crystal ternary nitride alloys, oxynitride materials, and thin films of decomposition-limited materials. His innovations aim to expand electronic and optoelectronic material options for sustainable energy solutions. He also emphasizes community leadership, co-chairing international conferences like IWBNS-X (2017) and organizing ammonothermal growth workshops.

Advising & Grants: As a postdoc, he mentored graduate students to successful Ph.D. completions. While specific grants are not detailed, his research aligns with funding priorities in sustainable materials and semiconductor technologies.

Labs & Teams: At Lehigh, he is establishing a new lab to operationalize his research vision, complementing his ongoing collaborations with the UCSB Materials Department.