Two engineering researchers named President’s Postdoctoral Scholars
Two bright minds from the College of Engineering have been selected for Ohio State’s 2019 cohort of President’s Postdoctoral Scholars. The program recognizes outstanding young researchers at the university and aids in the recruitment of highly qualified postdoctoral trainees who will become leaders in their fields.
Andreas Fiedler and Nicole Pfiester, both from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), are among just 10 chosen from a diverse and highly competitive pool of national and international applicants. They are the first engineering recipients since the program launched in January 2018.
Fiedler received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from the Humboldt-University of Berlin. In March 2015 he started working on his doctorate at the Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung (Leibniz Institute for Crystal Growth). His research focuses on the characterization of the formation and the influence of defects on the properties of beta-gallium oxide—a promising material for power electronics. While working on his PhD, he contributed to nine articles, gave eight contributed talks and two poster presentations at international conferences. Fiedler was elected as the representative for severely disabled persons to help them represent and defend their rights. His faculty mentor is ECE Professor Siddharth Rajan.
Pfiester received her bachelor’s degree in physics from Purdue University, where she was first introduced to semiconductors through research on gallium nitride nanowire growth via molecular beam epitaxy. She earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering and the first joint-PhD in electrical engineering and materials science engineering from Tufts University. While working on her PhD, Pfiester was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and Future Leader of Engineering Fellow. Her research interests include photonic and optoelectronic devices, with an emphasis on leveraging materials engineering and nanostructures to improve their performance. She won several funding competitions and an award for her contributions to undergraduate education. Her faculty mentor is ECE Professor Sanjay Krishna.
To learn about all 10 recipients, click here.
