Dr. Pawan Tyagi is a distinguished faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of the District of Columbia, specializing in renewable energy, nanotechnology, and advanced manufacturing. He has made significant contributions as the Director of the Nanotechnology Laboratory and the Renewable Energy Laboratory; additionally, he has led multiple high-impact research initiatives funded by prestigious organizations such as the NSF and DOE, totaling nearly $20 million in federal funding. Through his research and teaching, Dr. Tyagi is advancing innovations in molecular spintronics, renewable energy, and additive manufacturing, while also mentoring the next generation of engineers and scientists.
Experience
Education
Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Engineering, University of Kentucky Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering,Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering,Indian Institute of Technology, Rookee
Roles
Founder and Director, Nanotechnology Laboratory, 2012-Present Founder and Faculty Coordinator, Renewable Energy Laboratory and Concentration, 2014-Present Graduate Program Director, UDC, 2018-Present Chair, Curriculum Committee, UDC, 2014-20 Instructor and Coordinator, Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation at UDC, 2011-19 Professor, UDC, 2020-Present Associate Professor, UDC, 2016-20 Assistant Professor, UDC, 2012-16 Visiting Professor, UDC, 2010-11
Courses Taught
Master of Science Thesis Research Ph.D. Thesis Research Research Methods and Technical Communications Design of Energy System Photovoltaic Cells and Solar Thermal Energy Systems Nanoscale Device Fabrications Nanoscale Measurements and Material Characterizations Senior Capstone Project Fuel Cell Science and Technology Undergraduate Research Experience Introduction to Renewable Energy Introduction to Engineering Scientific programming
Expertise
Postdoctoral Scholar, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2008-10 Quality Control Engineer, MIDHANI Alloy and Steel Plant, 1998-2000 Adjunct Professor, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C. Campus, 2010-11
Research Focus / Works in Progress
Molecular spintronics and quantum structure-based computer devices; molecular quantum structure-based metamaterial for renewable energy harvesting and chemical sensing; multiscale nanoscale spintronics device simulation; additive manufacturing and postprocessing; vacuum tube-based solar thermal air heating; student presentation-based effective teaching; poisitive intelligence application for enhancing student potential; intellectual property creation and commercialization
Impact
Leadership
Director, Center for Nanotechnology Research and Education, 2019-Present Director, NNSA Constortium, 2019-23 Founder and Director, Nanotechnology Laboratory, 2012-Present Founder and Faculty Coordinator, Renewable Energy Laboratory and Concentration, 2014-Present
Selected Publications
Tyagi, P., Goulet, T., Riso, C., Stephenson, R., Chuenprateep, N., Schlitzer, J., Benton, C., & Garcia-Moreno, F. (2019). Reducing the roughness of internal surface of an additive manufacturing produced 316 steel component by chempolishing and electropolishing, Additive Manufacturing, 25, 32-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2018.11.001
Tyagi, P., & Addo, S. (2022). Student presentation-based teaching to provide transactional analysis training to produce emotionally intelligent engineering graduate students. Proceedings of EDULEARN 2022. IATED. https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2022.2459
Tyagi, P. (2022). Preparatory discussion and project augmented student learning via student presentation based effective teaching (SPET) approach. Proceedings of EDULEARN 2022. IATED. https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2022.2458
Tyagi, P. (2022). Transactional analysis of training for improving engineering graduate students’ abilities to understand different personalities. Proceedings of the ASME 2022 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2022-95284
Addo, S., Tyagi, P., & Mutunga, E. (2022). Assessing undergraduate students’ level of awareness of commercialization of engineering research innovation at a historically black college and university. Proceedings of the ASME 2022 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2022-95446
Addo, S., Tyagi, P., Gaye, S., & Baker, K. (2022). Promoting globalization of engineering by developing students’ potential for productive communication and interaction using transactional analysis in a historically black college and university. Proceedings of the ASME 2022 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2022-94253
Sanchez, P., Waqar, Z., & Tyagi, P. (2022). Application of nickel deposition on electropolishing (EP), chempolishing (CP), and as-built additvely manufactured (AM) metal components. Proceedings of the ASME 2022 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2022-96200
Selected Grants
National Science Foundation. (2019). Center of Nanotechnology Research and Education. Department of Energy. (2019). Consortium of additive manufacturing post processing partnership. National Science Foundation. (2019). Research instrumentation grant to obtain physical propety measurement system. NASA. (2019). Center of Advanced Manufacturing. Department of Energy. (2018). Advanced manufacturing and pre and post processing.
Recognitions
Black Engineer of the Year Award, 2020 Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, UDC, 2022 Faculty External Funding Award, UDC, 2020
Tyagi, P., & Shetty, D. (2020). Pumpless solar energy-based air heater and method(U.S. Patent No. 10,775,058). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Tyagi, P. (2020). Trenched bottom electrode and liftoff based molecular devices(U.S. Patent No. 16/102,732). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Tyagi, P. (2023). Systems and methods of fabricating gate electrode on trenched bottom electrode based molecular spintronics device(U.S. Patent No. 20210111274A1). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Tyagi, P. (2022). Systems and methods of fabricating gate electrode on trenched bottom electrode based molecular spintronics device(U.S. Patent No. WO/2022/066263, PCT/US2021/040607). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Invited Participations
Tyagi, P. (2023). Workshop on positive intelligence. Crest PI Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah. Tyagi, P. (2019). Invited speaker. 10th North American Material Education Symposium, Stanford, California. Tyagi, P. (2019). Invited speaker. Boeing-Navy Additive Manufacturing Workshop. Tyagi, P. (2019). Invited speaker. NAVAIR Meeting in Aerospace Division. Tyagi, P. (2019). Invited speaker. Intermag MMM International Conference, Washington, D.C.
