Program: Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Home Country: India
Universities: JAIN
Pronouns: he/him
Languages: English, Kannada, Hindi and Urdu

Mr. Altaf is a Ph.D. Scholar in Physics at the Centre for Nano and Material Sciences, JAIN University. His research supervisor is Prof. R. Geetha Balakrishna. His research interests are in developing materials and device architectures for new-generation solar cell technology.

Mr. Altaf completed his Bachelor's degree from SSMRV College and Master's degree in Physics from National College, Jayanagar, Bangalore. After his Master's, he joined Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany for a collaborative project with major photovoltaics industry partners to develop Electron Microscopy techniques for thin-film solar cells.

With the prestigious Fulbright Fellowship, he has joined Materials Physics for Energy Management group at Rice University to develop stable and efficient perovskite solar cells. Further, he is an avid STEM communicator and serves as a part-time curator back in India to nurture young minds and bridge the gaps between science and society.

On Rice:

I love the Rice campus and its regular events that concurrently engage current students, alumni, and the public. Houstonians and Texans in general embrace visitors and it makes feel home away from one.

On Fulbright:

Inspiring individuals make the Fulbright community. We are spread across the world. I like it when a Fulbrighter plans to visit a new city and the first point of contact would be the local Fulbrighter group. The same holds for a Fulbrighter's professional journey.

Fun Fact:

I can mimic almost all of my supervisors. It has helped me handle the work pressure.