Dhananjay Kumar | Scientist. Mentor. Innovator.
I believe materials shape the future—and we are engineering that future at the atomic level.

Welcome

As a child growing up in a rural village in India, I was captivated by the way the natural world worked. That curiosity led me to study chemistry, and later to explore the world of superconductors, lasers, and atomic-scale materials. Today, I lead teams of brilliant students and collaborators across the country who are solving some of the most pressing problems in energy and advanced manufacturing.

From developing catalysts for clean hydrogen to engineering magnetocaloric films that could replace conventional cooling, my work lies at the interface of curiosity and application. At NC A&T, I've helped build one of the country's most advanced thin-film labs, where we prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers to lead.

4,000+

Total citations

4

NSF/DOE centers

$10M+

Research funding

20+

PhD graduates

News

Work: Building the Future—One Lab, One Student, One Breakthrough at a Time

Faculty & Research

My home base is North Carolina A&T State University, where I serve as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering. This is where the lab is, where students grow, and where all of our center-based collaborations are grounded. It is an honor to train the next generation of scientists and engineers at one of the nation's most respected HBCUs.
NCAT Faculty Profile

CEDARS

As Director of CEDARS—an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy—I lead a national collaboration focused on the fundamental science of electrochemical reactions. We study how surfaces and interfaces behave during processes like water splitting and catalysis, using advanced thin film synthesis, synchrotron spectroscopy, and modeling. The work we do is helping lay the scientific groundwork for cleaner, more efficient energy technologies.
CEDARS

CREAM

Through the CREAM (formerly CREEM) PREM program, I work with partners at institutions like UC San Diego, Cornell, and the University of Texas at Austin to build a vibrant pipeline for underrepresented students in materials science. Our focus is on research in energy-relevant materials—especially thin films and nanostructures—with hands-on training that connects fundamental science to real-world impact. It is about science, but also about access, opportunity, and long-term change.
CREAM