Short Bio

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” column_structure=”1_4,3_4″][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https://pfl.fiu.edu/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8383_cropped.jpg” align_tablet=”center” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”Dr Agarwal Headshot” _builder_version=”4.3.2″ custom_margin=”60px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ z_index_tablet=”500″ border_radii=”on|5px|5px|5px|5px” border_style_all=”none” border_width_top=”25″ border_width_right=”25″ border_width_bottom=”25″ border_width_left=”25″ box_shadow_style=”preset1″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ z_index_tablet=”500″ border_style_all=”none” border_width_top=”25″ border_width_right=”25″ border_width_bottom=”25″ border_width_left=”25″]

Executive Summary

Dr. Arvind Agarwal is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Florida International University (FIU), Miami, FL, USA. He also serves as the Director of Advanced Materials Engineering Research Institute (AMERI).  He served as Associate Dean of Research, College of Engineering and Computing at FIU from 2015-17. Prof. Agarwal obtained his B.S from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. After his Ph.D., Prof. Agarwal worked in the industry as a Materials Scientist at Plasma Processes Inc., Huntsville, AL, USA, for three (3) years, before embarking on an academic career at FIU in 2002. 

Research: Prof. Agarwal’s current research interests include advanced materials processing, thermal and cold spray, surface engineering, spark plasma sintering, ultrahigh temperature ceramics, carbon nanotube (CNT), boron nitride nanotube (BNNT), and graphene reinforced composites and coatings, nanoindentation, and mechanical properties of low dimensional and biological materials. His research has been continuously funded ($6M as PI and $22M as Co-PI) for 17 years by NSF, ONR, AFOSR, ARO, NASA, DOE, and industries. Currently, he also serves as Co-PI of NSF funded Engineering Center (ERC) Cell-Met in partnership with Boston University and University of Michigan.  Prof. Agarwal has published 285 technical articles, which includes 231 peer-reviewed journal articles, 1 book, and 7 edited books. His research has been cited more than 9600 times (H-index: 52). He has delivered ~200 presentations at national and international conferences including 35 keynote/invited lectures.  Prof. Agarwal is the inventor of 3 patents and 2 disclosures. His approved patent (US 10,183,754B1) titled “Three Dimensional Graphene Foam Reinforced Composite and Deicing Systems Therefrom” has been licensed at both National and International levels and marketed as deIce 477™.

Teaching and Mentorship: Prof. Agarwal has mentored 31 doctoral and post-doctoral, 16 masters and 35 undergraduate researchers in his lab. He has also mentored 16 K-12 students and 6 K-12 teachers in his labs. Prof. Agarwal has taught 6 graduate and 3 undergraduate courses. He has also conducted several short-term courses and workshops in the USA and internationally for working professionals and engineers. His students and mentees are employed as faculty members, national lab scientists, and senior engineers in the industry within the USA and other countries (China, India, Turkey). Prof. Agarwal has also served as a mentor to several assistant professors at FIU, and three of them have won NSF-CAREER award.        

Administration: Prof. Agarwal has extensive experience in academic and research administration. He served as Graduate Program Director of MME (2004-2008) and Associate Dean for Research for CEC (2015-2017). Since 2012, he serves as Director of Advanced Materials Engineering Research Institute (AMERI) at FIU which has more than 25 faculty users and 50 Ph.D. students in the area of nanotechnology, materials characterization and materials processing. Currently, Prof. Agarwal serves as the Chairperson of Mechanical and Materials Engineering department since October 2017. In mere 19 months of his tenure as MME Chair, 4-year FTIC graduation rate has increased from 9% in 2017 to 20% in 2019. He has taken the lead to redesign undergraduate curriculum, upgraded teaching labs, and created a series of online courses to improve the 4-year graduation rate.  Prof. Agarwal has also been able to hire 4 T/TT faculty and embarked on aggressive recruitment of graduate students. He has created a National Industrial Advisory Board (NIAB) which has 7 industrial partners who have provided support for senior design projects and MME activities. 

Service: Prof. Agarwal has served his profession at national, international, and domestic levels. Prof. Agarwal has been active in professional societies (ASM, TMS, ACerS) and has organized more than 15 symposia in the field of surface engineering, nanomaterials, and biomaterials. He has served on several committees including Advanced Materials Editorial Committee, ASM/IIM Visiting Lecture Award, Journal of Thermal Spray Technology Best Paper Award, and Surface Engineering committee. He is the Founding Faculty Advisor of FIU Materials Advantage (MA) student chapter. FIU MA Chapter was awarded (i) Chapter of Excellence (7 times), and (ii) Worlds Materials Day Award (6 times) in the last 12 years worldwide. Prof. Agarwal has advised more than 200 students and helped them transition to a leadership role through MA.  Several of his advisees have become professors and started new MA chapter in their universities resulting in a ripple effect. Prof. Agarwal serves as a reviewer for more than 50 leading journals in the area of materials engineering, nanotechnology, biomaterials, and mechanics. 

Prof. Agarwal has served on several FIU committee at the University, College, and the department level. A few of these committees are Chairs Advisory Council, Honorary Award Committee, VP Research Advisory Council, College Curriculum Committee, CEC Faculty Council, CEC T&P Committee, and several faculty search & screen committees. 

Honors and Awards: Prof. Agarwal has received several honors and awards both at the national level and within FIU. This includes the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) prestigious CAREER award in 2006, Defense Tech Connect Award for Top 15% Technologies (2018), and Nanomaterials and Energy Prize (Best Journal Paper) in 2017. He received FIU President’s Council Outstanding Professor (now renamed as World’s Ahead Professor) in 2010 for sustained excellence in research, teaching, and service. Prof. Agarwal is also a recipient of the FIU Faculty Excellence in Research Award (2008) and Excellence in Mentorship award (2010). Recently, he was honored by Provost’s Mentorship Award for Graduate students in March 2018.  Prof. Agarwal was honored as elected Fellow of ASM International in 2012.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]