Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering

Contact

Office: Engineering A103X
Phone: 970-491-5450
Email: walajabad.sampath@colostate.edu
Website: engr.colostate.edu/projects/ngpv

Dr. Walajabad S. Sampath

Site Director, Center for Next Generation Photovoltaics 

Professor

Mechanical Engineering

School of Advanced Materials Discovery

Dr. Sampath has been with the Mechanical Engineering department since 1985. Dr. Sampath’s research includes all aspects of CdTe thin film photovoltaics including basic physics to manufacturing technology.

Dr. Sampath founded the NSF Industry University Co-Operative Research Center (I/UCRC) on Next Generation Photovoltaics in 2009 and currently the site director at CSU. Currently the I/UCRC has three university sites and 20 Industrial members paying full membership, including leaders in photovoltaics (First Solar), energy (Statoil) and defense (Naval Postgraduate School)

The CdTe PV research group includes 25 faculty members, post-docs, grad. students and undergraduate students. Demonstrated highest efficiency CdTe photovoltaic devices (20.14%) among academic institutions.

Dr. Sampath’s work has resulted in more than 100 refereed conference and journal publications and 17 patents.

Education

  • Ph.D. 1985, Arizona State University—Mechanical Engineering
  • M.Engr. 1982, Arizona State University—Mechanical Engineering
  • B.Tech. 1980, Indian Institute of Technology—Mechanical Engineering

Resources

Research Interests

  • Sustainable Energy
  • High Efficiency Photovoltaics
  • Density Functional Theory
  • Manufacturing Systems
  • Applications of Photovoltaics

Honors and Awards

  • 2010 – Innovation Excellence Award, CUSRF
  • 2009 – Abell Award for Economic Development, College of Engineering
  • 2000 – Award of Excellence, CSU Engineering Faculty Council
  • 2017- Awarded Art Corey Outstanding International Contributions Award, College of Engineering.

  • 2020- Awarded Abell award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

International Connections

  • Country: United Kingdom
    Contact: Loughborough University, Research
  • Country: India
    Contact: Amrita University
  • Country: Thailand
    Contact: Asian Institute of Technology