Education
- Ph.D. Materials Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 2003
- M.S. Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 2000
- B.S. Math and Physics, Allahabad University, 1995
Professional Background
Shashank Priya is the founding executive director of the University of Minnesota’s National Security Research Institute. He previously served as the University’s vice president for research and innovation, where he led a research enterprise exceeding $1 billion across all campuses and facilities and helped drive record growth in sponsored awards, research expenditures, and startup formation. An internationally recognized authority in materials engineering, bio-inspired systems, and energy harvesting, Priya has established himself as a visionary inventor, innovation strategist, and ecosystem builder whose work continues to shape both scientific progress and societal well-being.
He has published more than 500 peer-reviewed journal articles and holds 10 issued U.S. patents encompassing breakthrough advancements in piezoelectric materials, energy harvesting, magnetoelectrics, perovskite photovoltaics, and thermoelectrics. Many of these innovations—such as textured piezoelectrics—have been successfully transitioned to industry, while others, including flexible photovoltaics, have catalyzed the development of emerging products and technologies. Priya’s pioneering inventions—ranging from high-power thermoelectrics that convert heat into electricity, to textured piezoceramics enabling underwater communication and mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion, to hybrid perovskites for next-generation solar cells and sensors, and multimodal vibration harvesters capable of capturing energy from diverse environmental sources—highlight his unique ability to marry scientific rigor with a bold, translational vision.
Priya also founded and directed the NSF I/UCRC Center for Energy Harvesting Materials and Systems, a foundational platform for industry–university collaboration aimed at accelerating energy materials into real-world applications. In addition, Priya founded and chaired the Energy Harvesting Workshop for multiple years, creating a global forum that has enabled the international research community to engage, collaborate, and advance the frontiers of energy generation and storage. Priya is a fellow of the American Ceramic Society.
His research has been funded by DARPA, AFOSR, ARO, NSF, DOE, ONR, and several industries.
Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, he was associate vice president for research and director of strategic initiatives at Penn State University, where, as a professor of materials science and engineering and a mechanical engineering adjunct professor, he led an interdisciplinary research group focused on developing bio-inspired materials, understanding the complex nature of properties in these materials, and utilizing them to invent unique applications.
