Sathvik Iyengar, a fourth-year doctoral student in materials science and nanoengineering (MSNE) at Rice, has received a one-year research fellowship in Japan from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
Iyengar will work with Keshav Dani, associate professor and femtosecond spectroscopy unit leader at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. The theme of his research is “Imaging Trions in 2D Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides Moiré Heterostructures.”
“The JSPS is an exciting opportunity to explore interdisciplinary and internationally collaborative research. This is essential for open and creative thinking, especially in academia,” said Pulickel Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor of Engineering and chair of MSNE.
Iyengar is one of 14 students accepted into the program from the more than 500 who applied. While the fellowship is administered at the postdoctoral level, Iyengar was awarded the grant at the pre-doctoral level.
“Fellowships like the JSPS are unique because they enable recipients to foster cross-cultural ties while pursuing cutting-edge research,” Iyengar said. “I’m excited to be a part of such an opportunity.”
At Rice, Iyengar is a member of Ajayan’s research group. His interests include 2D materials, the physics and chemistry of their atom-thick arrangements, and applications in new device architectures.
Earlier this year, Iyengar was among the inaugural recipients of the Quad Fellowship, a multinational scholarship program jointly administered by the governments of the United States, Australia, India, and Japan.
By Patrick Kurp, Science Writer for George R. Brown School of Engineering