Nilanjan Mallik – Blending Nanotechnology and Engineering for the Future of Smart Structures

 

Nilanjan Mallik, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University)

 

Myself Dr. Nilanjan Mallik, a researcher, and teacher by profession. I am a mechanical engineer and have multidisciplinary expertise. Engineering is my passion. I was the recipient of the prestigious BOYSCAST fellowship of the Government of India to conduct research on cutting-edge technologies in the USA in the years 2006-07. Under this program, I collaborated with researchers in the Nanoworld Laboratory, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, on the spinning of carbon nanotubes into threads and received an outstanding researcher award from the University of Cincinnati in 2008. I codeveloped a carbon nanotube spinning machine to convert carbon nanotubes into electrical threads and researched their multifunctional applications. Currently, I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. I published several research papers in peer-reviewed reputed international journals, books, and e-books and presented research papers in several reputed international conferences. I also delivered several invited expert lectures on frontier technology topics in many institutes and industries. I also conducted several courses on advanced technology topics for faculty, researchers, persons from industries, and students. As a person, I am very calm and soft spoken. I am a fond follower and practitioner of Indian classical music.

 

Could you tell us about your educational background and areas of expertise?

 

I completed my school education from Byabattarhat Adarsha High School, Midnapur, West Bengal, India, under the West Bengal Board in the year 1993. I graduated in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), Shibpur, Howrah, West Bengal, India, in 1998. I received a Master of Technology (MTech) degree in Mechanical Engineering from Viveswaraiah Technological University (VTU), Belgaum, Karnataka, India, in 2000. I received my PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India, in 2005. My areas of expertise are smart materials and structures, including nanostructures, vibration damping, energy harvesting, structural health monitoring, micro-mechanics, finite element methods, mechatronics, mechanisms, carbon nanotubes, spinning carbon nanotubes, composites, multifunctional materials, piezoelectric materials, shape memory alloys, ER/MR fluid, optical fiber sensors, and related fields.

 

Could you share an overview of your professional journey, highlighting the key milestones and achievements in your career?

 

My profession consists of teaching and research. I started my research career during my PhD. I started working on a multidisciplinary topic, viz., active vibration damping of piezoelectric smart composite structures. Having a purely mechanical background during graduation and postgraduation, multidisciplinary research was a challenge for me. With determination and focused work, I was able to publish five peer-reviewed international publications in reputed international journals and many national journal publications. After my PhD, when I joined as a lecturer at the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, I continued the same momentum of publications. During 2006-07, I was selected by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, for a prestigious BOYSCAST fellowship to conduct research on cutting-edge technologies in the USA. Under this scheme, I joined the Nanoworld Laboratory, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, to conduct research on spinning carbon nanotubes into threads to be used as sensors in smart structures. During this time, I filed an invention disclosure along with co-researchers of the Nanoworld laboratory on a carbon nanotube spinning machine. In 2008, the Nanoworld Laboratory, University of Cincinnati, conferred on me an outstanding researcher award for ground-breaking research on spinning carbon nanotubes. After rejoining the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, I continued multidisciplinary teaching and research. During this time, I proposed new multidisciplinary subjects and modified existing subjects and continued teaching those subjects to students. I also completed external funding research during this time and created research facilities on smart structures. I also contributed to the modernization of existing UG/PG laboratories. After several career growths at ITBHU and IITBHU, currently, I am working as an Associate Professor, at IITBHU.

 

What inspired you to pursue academia, and how do you implement your core teaching philosophies in the classroom?

 

Teaching is a noble profession, and through this profession, one can shape future leaders of society. In shaping the future, one has to keep oneself updated in terms of knowledge and technique. Thus, one will never feel bored in this profession, and the job satisfaction level is very high. According to me, multidisciplinary teaching is the core philosophy of education, particularly engineering education. I always convey concepts to my students from multiple subject points of view and introduce them to the practical applications of multidisciplinary knowledge that will be beneficial in their future professional careers.

 

What are your roles and responsibilities as an Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi?

 

As Associate Professor, my primary role is teaching and research. Apart from teaching, I supervise students for undergraduate, postgraduate, and research projects. I also conduct research with externally funded projects. I am also involved in upgrading the syllabus and introducing new courses, conducting regular examinations, the selection process of postgraduate and research students, as well as the faculty recruitment process. I am also involved in other administrative works, like undergraduate and postgraduate committees. I also review research papers from many internationally renowned journals and evaluate PhD theses of many renowned institutes like IITs and NITs.

 

What skills or qualities do you believe are essential for students aspiring to excel in mechanical engineering?

 

As an aspiring mechanical engineer, first of all, students need to focus on basic learning requirements. They must be well conversant on core subjects like mechanics, solid mechanics, drawing, materials, vibrations, mechanisms, fracture mechanics, thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, machining, production techniques, etc. Apart from core subjects, they must learn multidisciplinary subjects like mechatronics, smart materials and structures, control systems, etc. Knowledge of multidisciplinary subjects will prepare them more industry-ready owing to the fact that all products that are used every day require multidisciplinary knowledge. Apart from subject knowledge, students need to upgrade and update themselves on software skills as per industry requirements they are interested in. Knowledge of programming skills like C, Fortran, MATLAB, etc. is essential for professional growth. Knowledge of working with software is also very essential. Software is a tool to solve some kind of problem, like finite element method software, control system design software, etc. Students can choose the software as per their interests and industry requirements.

 

What advice would you give to young researchers or academics who are just beginning their careers?

 

I would suggest to young academics who are just starting their careers to focus on multidisciplinary teaching and research instead of staying on a particular topic; they must explore combinations of multiple subjects in their teaching and research tasks. This will widen opportunities. They must also focus on tangible research rather than just academic research.