Prof. Bodh Raj Mehta
Prof Bodh Raj Mehta is working as Director (Research, Innovation and Development) from January 2022 onwards in the newly established Directorate of Research, Innovation and Development (DRID). DRID is engaged in enriching and promoting research and innovation activities aimed to transform the 4 Jaypee universities to a vibrant and thriving innovation ecosystem. He also has an additional responsibility of Director, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Sector 128 Campus.
Before joining Jaypee university system, he has about 37 years of teaching, research and administrative experience at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and worked as Dean (Research and Development); Head, Department of Physics; and Schlumberger Chair Professor. He has received life-time achievement award 2021 from IIT Delhi for his outstanding contributions to scientific researchand teaching. During his stay at IIT Delhi, he has supervised of about 40 PhD scholars and 100 MTech and MSc projects. He has published about 250 manuscripts in peer reviewed international journals and about 300 publications, presentations and invited lectures in national and international conferences. He has been exceptionally active in sponsored research and have successfully completed about 55 sponsored research projects from national and international funding agencies. His research efforts have resulted in the development of a new integrated deposition technique for the growth of size-selected metal, alloy and core-shell nanoparticles (Patent granted). This is a unique facility which combines salient features of thin film growth and aerosol particle measurement technologies for growing monosized, monocrystalline and spherical nanoparticles having controllable nanoparticle size and particle concentration. This facility has been widely used in studying size-dependent properties of various nanoparticle systems for sensors, plasmonic, thermoelectric applications. He has conceptualized and implemented a new Kelvin Probe force microscopy imaging method in surface and junction modes for measuring junction properties and this methodhas been applied for understanding important basic issue concerning the nature of 2D-3D interfaces in solar cell, thermoelectric and photoelectrochemical junctions.
He has worked at University of British Columbia, Canada as aGuest Scientist (1989-1990), Visiting Fellow at University of Saarbrucken, Germany(1998), Marie Curie Fellow (2007-08)and Guest Professor University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany in several short durations in 2000-10.
He has been Principal Coordinator of formal international collaborations with University of Duisburg, Germany;EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland; Max Plank Institute, Mainz, Germany; University of Dresden, Germany; University College London; NCTU, Taiwan and EMPA, Zurich, Switzerland and SINTEF - Applied Research, Technology and Innovation, Norway and Tri-national group India-Brazil-South Africa.
He is member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (JNN). He has been a member of DST PAC committee on condensed matter physics and materials science (2005-2010) and DST-FIST committee (2010-2015), CSIR committee for project evaluation and RA selection. He is a member of the DST FIST committee for colleges in 2020-2021 and DST FIST Physics Committee for universities 2022- onwards, National Committee on Standardization for Nanotechnology, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, 2007-Present and Convenor of the Material Research Society of India (Delhi Chapter) and subject expert member of MRSI. In addition to the Life Time Achievement Award, IIT Delhi, 2021, has also received MRSI-ICSC Material Science Annual Prize 2018, Material Research Society of India Medal, 2004, Marie Curie International Fellowship, European Commission, 2007, DAAD (German Academic Exchange Programme) Fellowship, 1999.
He has contributed significantly toward organizing popular science activities among school children. He was the expert commentator in Nano-Duniya, a 13-episode popular science programme on Nanotechnology broad casted by the national broadcasting channel, Doordarshan. He was the convenor of Nanoworld, Introductory workshop on Nanotechnology for school children at IIT Delhi, March 16, 2006.
He has contributed significantly toward the scientific outreach activities. He has been the convener of EU-India Workshop on Nanomaterials for Sustainable Energy, 1-4 November 2010, convener of National Workshop on Nano Sensors and Devices, 22-23 December 2008, convener of the International Conference on Nanoscience and Technology (ICONSAT 2006) sponsored by National Initiative on Nanoscience and Technology, DST India, 16-18 March 2006 and Convener of the National Symposium on Nanostructured Materials, IIT Delhi, 5-6 December 2002.
He has mentored two successful start ups and has been technical advisor of Ultrasolar Technology Inc USA and Ornate Solar Pvt. Ltd. India. Both these start ups are in the energy domain and are contributing significantly towards the development of environment and energy ecosystem.
He is the co-founder of a not-for-profit trust VEDUEM (Vanti Education and Empowerment trust) working towards providing high quality science education and hands-on experience to needy primary school students. He is passionately engaged in bird photography as a hobby.