N C S

NOMINATION COVER SHEET
2013 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Awards
1. NAME
Full (Legal): Shiv Narain Khanna
Preferred First Name: Shiv
2. INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION
3. PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION
Institution: Virginia Commonwealth University
Academic Discipline: Physics
Rank/Position Title: Professor
Specialization/Field: Condensed Matter Physics
Year Rank/Title Attained: 1993
Type of Terminal Degree: Ph.D.
Years at Institution: 28
Year Awarded: 1976
Campus Email Address: snkhanna@vcu.edu
Awarding Institution: University of Delhi, India
Campus Phone: 804-828-1820
Campus Mailing Address:
Department of Physics
PO Box 842000
Richmond VA 23284-2000
4. PERSONAL INFORMATION
Home Phone: 804-739-4342
Cell Phone Number: 804-399-5899
Campus Communications Contact:
-Name: Dr. Laura Moriarty
-E-mail: ljmoriar@vcu.edu
Home Mailing Address:
14607 Duck Cove Place
Midlothian, VA 23112
Please check only one box:
RESEARCH/DOCTORAL INSTITUTION NOMINEE:
MASTERS/COMPREHENSIVE INSTITUTION NOMINEE:
BACCALAUREATE INSTITUTION NOMINEE:
TWO-YEAR INSTITUTION NOMINEE:
TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY NOMINEE:
RISING STAR NOMINEE:
Table of Contents
Cover Sheet ................................................................................................................................................. 1
Mission Statement ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Summary of Accomplishments ..................................................................................................................... 3
Personal Statement ...................................................................................................................................... 9
Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae .................................................................................................................... 11
Letters of Support (Excerpted) .................................................................................................................... 13
Additional Documentation ........................................................................................................................... 16
Signature (President or Chief Academic Officer) ________________________________________________
Printed Name: Dr. Michael Rao
Telephone: 804-828-1200
E-mail address: president@vcu.edu
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Virginia Commonwealth University
Mission Statement
As the premier urban, public research university in Virginia, VCU’s mission is to advance
knowledge and student success through its commitments to:
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an engaged, learner-centered environment that fosters inquiry, discovery and innovation
in a global setting;
research that expands the boundaries of new knowledge and creative expression and
promotes translational applications to improve human health;
interdisciplinary collaborations that bring new perspectives to complex problems and
mobilize creative energies that advance innovation and solve global challenges;
health care that strives to preserve and restore health for all people, to seek the cause
and cure of diseases through groundbreaking research, and to educate those who serve
humanity;
diversity that provides a climate of inclusion, a dedication to addressing disparities
wherever they exist, and an opportunity to explore and create in an environment of trust;
sustainable, university-community partnerships that enhance the educational, economic
and cultural vitality of the communities VCU serves in Virginia and around the world.
http://www.vcu.edu/vcu/mission.php
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Summary of Accomplishments for Dr. Shiv N. Khanna
Dr. Khanna is an exceptional and accomplished scientist and educator whose passion inspires,
motivates, and engages students to think and learn physics. Dr. Khanna’s pioneering
contributions to the theoretical understanding of clusters and superatoms has earned him an
international reputation and has resulted in him being nominated and elected as Fellow of the
American Physical Society, a prestigious honor that is bestowed to less than one half of one
percent of scientists in the society. During his tenure at VCU, Dr. Khanna has published 240
refereed publications in top, high-impact journals and has secured more than $20 million in
external funding to support his research. As a testament to his record of outstanding
scholarship, Dr. Khanna was recently named Commonwealth Professor of Physics and received
VCU’s 2010 Distinguished Scholarship Award. Dr. Khanna is not only a world class leader in an
exciting and transformative area of theoretical physics, but he is also an inspiring teacher, rolemodel and mentor. Dr. Khanna’s dedication to teaching is exemplified by student comments
such as "Dr. Khanna is by far, hands down, the greatest physics teacher I‘ve ever had.” His
service to the university and his profession is equally as exceptional as he selflessly dedicates
himself to serving on time-consuming, albeit vitally important departmental, college and
university committees. Likewise, he is a leader in his profession via service on numerous
advisory boards, as a scientific reviewer, and as an organizer of international conferences.
VCU is indeed fortunate to have such a talented scholar who can inspire the next generation of
intellectuals via his dedication to scholarship, teaching, and service.
Teaching
Dr. Khanna is a dedicated classroom teacher who is loved and praised by his students. At
VCU, he has taught courses ranging from lower-level general physics courses, to specialized
honors courses, to advanced graduate courses. He enthusiastically incorporates appropriate
technologies into his teaching style and communicates effectively from the undergraduate to
graduate level. For example, he uses in-class clickers for interactive discussions of questions
on PPT notes and a Tablet PC for real-time inking while discussing course material. Dr.
Khanna's student evaluations are excellent and clearly reflect his enthusiasm for teaching.
Whether it is an introductory or advanced course, his instructor ratings range from 4 to 5 on a 5point scale, garnering some of the highest ratings in the Department of Physics. Dr. Khanna's
courses are in high demand and students consider him a highly knowledgeable instructor who
deeply cares about them. As a consequence of his engaging teaching style, students praise
him in evaluations, as follows:
"Dr. Khanna is by far, hands down, the greatest physics teacher I‘ve ever had.” – “Dr.
Khanna makes class very fun to be in.” – “Dr. Khanna did a great job this semester. He is
also very helpful whenever you need a question answered he will answer it for you. Thank
you Dr. Khanna for a good semester”. - “Dr. Khanna is an awesome teacher. I hated
physics before this class and I came in prepared for the worst. He was really helpful and
straightforward in helping us to learn--there was no guesswork about what we were
supposed to do.” - This class was fabulous. I have never taken any type of physics course
and I love to be well-rounded, so I am happy with the very basic outline that we learned in
the subject.” - “Dr. Khanna is one of the best professors at VCU. He is motivating, clear
and concise, and engages the students during lectures. Outstanding professor.”
In addition to traditional classroom teaching, Dr. Khanna mentors a large research group that
currently consists of one research professor, one instructor, three postdoctoral associates, one
Ph.D. student, one M.S. student, and two undergraduates. To date, Dr. Khanna has graduated
nine M.S. in Physics students and four Ph.D. in Chemical Physics students and he has helped
mentor two undergraduates and twelve postdoctoral associates in the research laboratory. His
success in recruiting and encouraging students to study theoretical physics is remarkable,
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especially considering that the Department of Physics only has a M.S. in the Applied Physics
program and participates in the PhD in Chemical Physics program available via the Department
of Chemistry.
Dr. Khanna’s dedication to teaching, mentoring, and learning in the research laboratory is
revealed through the success of his students as they obtained their degrees and moved onto
establishing their own independent careers. The research carried out by Dr. Khanna's group
members has appeared in some of the most prestigious journals in the field, and his students
have been invited to give lectures at major international conferences. Through collaborations
with experimental groups at Princeton, Pennsylvania State University, University of Southern
California, Johns Hopkins University, University of Utah and other places, the members of his
research group have had the opportunity to acquire experimental and theoretical knowledge that
will serve them well during their careers as educators, research scientists, or in other
professions. Many of Dr. Khanna’s students have completed postdoctoral research associate
positions, worked in industry, and/or served as faculty/instructors at various universities across
the world. The success of Dr. Khanna’s teaching/mentoring style is reflected in comments
solicited from other scientists in the field as well as from his own students and colleagues.
Professor Louis Bloomfield, Department of Physics, University of Virginia, states:
"I have interacted with Shiv Khanna extensively for more than 20 years and know him to
be an excellent scientist, engaging teacher, and compelling role model for the many
students he has mentored in his long career."
A colleague who has worked with Dr. Khanna for many years, Dr. Mark Pederson, speaks to the
superb mentoring that Dr. Khanna provides his students and postdocs:
"During my tenure at the Naval Research Laboratory, I have had the pleasure of working
on long-term projects with many of Shiv's protégés that have worked with him as
undergraduates, graduates and postdoctoral students. These interactions have arisen in
a variety of ways and have included summer visits by his students to NRL, postdoctoral
appointments of his previous graduate students to my group at NRL and collaborations
with his current students. The subject matter of these projects has included
photoemission of clusters, nanoscale magnetism, magic clusters, and vibrational
properties of molecules. In all cases I have found that they have been exceedingly well
prepared for the difficult scientific research. I would also note that in all of these cases his
students seem to emulate Shiv’s infectious enthusiasm for science and excellent
presentation style."
Dr. Arthur Reber, who was a postdoc for five years in Dr. Khanna's group and is now a
Research Assistant Professor, also elaborates:
"Mentoring lies at the heart of the scientific endeavor, and Dr. Khanna possesses all the
elements of an exceptional mentor. His world class research program is an outgrowth of his
ability to inspire, motivate, teach, and tell a rousing story. Rather than hiding in his office like
some advisors with far less accomplishments, he is constantly in the lab asking about new
results and pitching new hypotheses. His enthusiasm is contagious, and he inspires by
turning new results into compelling narratives. More importantly, Dr. Khanna is unselfish and
deftly balances the initial directions of projects with the self direction from his collaborators.
Dr. Khanna has successfully mentored undergraduate researchers, masters and doctoral
students, and postdoctorals with great success. Much of this success comes from his
optimism; many times, students and researchers have walked into his office with a
seemingly disappointing result, only to leave twenty minutes later with a smile and a new
strategy for a successful project."
One of Dr. Khanna's current Ph.D. students, Penee Clayborne, speaks about her experience
over the past years in Dr. Khanna's group:
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"It is with great honor to speak on the passion and excellence of Dr. Shiv N. Khanna. I have
had firsthand experience of Dr. Khanna’s passion for science and teaching at Virginia
Commonwealth University. Professor Khanna is dedicated to the success of each of his
students inside and outside of the classroom. He promotes a learning environment that
allows students to not only explore their own capabilities, but to look for ways to impact
society positively through methods and knowledge in the realm of nanoscience. He leads
by example, never turning any student away, explaining concepts thoroughly, and
encouraging students to achieve their best. As an advisor, he has offered motivation,
valuable counsel, and strong leadership to help guide me through my academic career. Dr.
Khanna’s professional and scientific guidance has allowed me to publish in many scientific
journals, which directly resulted in me receiving invitations to speak at universities in the
state of Virginia. His ability to engage in scientific collaborations has led to multiple
publications, awards, public speaking engagements, and several opportunities for scientists
just beginning their careers to become engaged with multiple scientific groups across the
fields of Physics, Chemistry and Nanoscience around the world. I can honestly state, that
the passion, encouragement, and professionalism shown by Professor Khanna has
motivated me not just to be a great scientist, but a great mentor in the scientific disciplines."
Discovery
Dr. Khanna is a renowned scientist and a leader in the field of clusters, superatoms, and
nanoscience. The international recognition that Dr. Khanna has earned for his work has helped
put VCU and Virginia in the forefront of research in this exciting multidisciplinary area of
scientific research. Below are key highlights of his scientific career.
• He has contributed more than 240 publications in refereed journals, including prestigious
journals such as Science, Nature Chemistry, Journal of the American Chemical Society
(JACS), Proceedings to the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Physics Review
Letters (PRL), and Nanoletters.
• In addition to these refereed publications, Dr. Khanna has published 59 articles in books/
proceedings, has been a contributing author to six books, and holds one patent.
• The impact of Dr. Khanna’s scholarly work can be quantitatively assessed in a number of
different ways. In the physical sciences, the criteria that are often used include: (1) the
impact factor of the Journal, (2) the number of citations each publication receives, and (3)
the h-index of the author as evaluated via ISI Web of Science. Dr. Khanna consistently
publishes in journals with high impact factors. The journal, Science, for example, has a
five- year impact factor of 31, ranking it as the 13th best scientific journal in this database.
JACS, Nanoletters, PNAS, and PRL have five-year impact factors of 8.8, 11.5, 10.3, and
7.1, respectively, putting them in the top 250 out of 7347 journals. To date, Dr. Khanna’s
work has been cited more than 5000 times giving him an h-index of 36, meaning he has 36
publications in this database that have 36 or more citations. This level of accomplishment
is impressive.
• Dr. Khanna has been invited to deliver more than 111 lectures since 1990 at international
and national conferences, universities, and industry. Several of these have been notable
plenary lectures at international symposia.
• To support his vibrant research group, he has participated in more than twenty research
projects with total grant funding of over $20 million. This impressive record includes a
recently funded Multi University Research Initiative (MURI) grant for a total of $6 million
from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. This MURI grant involves Dr. Khanna and
researchers from Pennsylvania State University, Princeton, University of Utah, and
University of Southern California. The initial idea for this proposal actually originated at
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VCU and the portion of the grant allocated to Dr. Khanna and his research group is nearly
$1 million over a five-year period. This funding is in addition to $1.25 million that Dr.
Khanna was already awarded for a similar grant from the Department of Army several
years ago. The research activity in Dr. Khanna's theory group has also been supported by
grants from the Department of Energy, the National Institute of Health, ERC Inc. and the Air
Force Office of Scientific Research.
• Dr. Khanna’s work has drawn international attention and
more than 200 news agencies, including C&EN News,
Scientific American, Nature, Science, New Scientist,
have carried reports about his cutting-edge research.
This remarkable level of research support is largely due
to Dr. Khanna’s recent work on “superatoms.” These
unusual clusters of atoms can mimic the characteristics
of single atoms and now spawn a third dimension to the
periodic table, offering potential for novel nanoscale
materials. The picture to the right shows the revised
periodic table from Dr. Khanna that was published as a
cover page to The Journal of Physical Chemistry last
The revised three dimensional
year. A recent news item from Delft University of
periodic table of atoms and
Technology in the Netherlands writes, “The spiritual
superatoms from an invited
feature article in The Journal of
father of the aluminum super atoms, Professor Shiv
Physical Chemistry C 113, 2664
Khanna of Virginia Commonwealth University, has high
(2009). The editors featured Dr.
expectations for TU Delft’s efforts.” Another recent news
Khanna's work on the journal's
item by Miller-McCune states, "The unique feature in the cover page.
three aluminum clusters that produced hydrogen is that
while they only have aluminum atoms, some Al sites act to absorb water molecules while
the others help in breaking the water into H and OH units."
• One of the projects that Dr. Khanna spearheaded was to discover if magnetism could arise
in small particles that were otherwise non-magnetic. Although there are more than 100
atoms in the periodic chart, only nine elements exhibit magnetic character in the bulk form.
In 1993, Dr. Khanna predicted that the element rhodium, which is normally non-magnetic,
could exhibit magnetism if it formed clusters of only 12 to 100 atoms. Soon after, Professor
Lou Bloomfield's experimental group at the University of Virginia and other institutions
tested his prediction and indeed found it to be correct. This work gained tremendous
attention and has been currently cited 247 times (Phys Rev Lett, 1993)
• Dr. Khanna is more recently known for his work on “superatoms,” an idea that started in the
early 1990’s. The building blocks of almost everything we see in nature are atoms. Since
these building blocks are fixed, the properties of resulting materials cannot be significantly
altered. Dr. Khanna in collaboration with Dr. Puru Jean noted that a group of thirteen
aluminum atoms exhibited the same chemical characteristics as the halogen atom chlorine.
This was a remarkable finding that Dr. Khanna and Dr. Jena published in the prestigious
journal, Physical Review Letters. They suggested that atoms combined in the correct
proportions could form small clusters that mimic the chemical features of other atoms. In
fact, a new class of materials could be synthesized by assembling these clusters as
building blocks, thus enabling one to build novel materials with desirable traits that nature
doesn’t create.
• Over the past twelve years, Dr. Khanna has collaborated with Dr. Castleman, an
experimentalist from Pennsylvania State University, to demonstrate the viability of such
cluster-based materials. They have shown that aluminum atoms, when collected in groups
of different size, can mimic the chemical behavior of different elements. It is particularly
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exciting that the clusters also exhibit other properties not seen in “natural” atoms. For
example, new catalysts can be designed to activate reactions that do not normally happen.
In particular, Dr. Khanna and Dr. Castleman have just developed a new material that splits
water to generate hydrogen, thereby providing another route for this renewable form of
energy [Science 323, 492 (2009)]. This new process allows for the generation of hydrogen
on demand, thus avoiding the necessity to store hydrogen in high-pressure cylinders.
• In another development that recently appeared in the prestigious journal “Nature
Chemistry,” Dr. Khanna proposed the first “magnetic superatoms,” a breakthrough that
could provide a way to design novel nano-scale magnetic materials for faster computer
processors and denser memory storage. A renowned scientist at Georgia Institute of
Technology, Robert L. Whetten, described the latest finding as "It's kind of a revolution in
the making." It is such real-world applications that translate Dr. Khanna’s theoretical
research into projects that can impact society in the future.
Knowledge Integration
Dr. Khanna highly values teaching and dedicates a significant amount of time to continuously
improve his courses via the incorporation of new teaching tools and the integration of research
into them. For example, when the field of clusters and nanostructures was still in its infancy
(1990), Dr. Khanna developed a course on “Atomic Clusters” to introduce students to this future
important science. More recently, Dr. Khanna modified the senior capstone course in physics in
order to encourage more critical thinking and student engagement. He described several
scientific discoveries that shaped novel thinking and tried to encourage students to go through a
similar process that inspired these changes. The students chose a research topic, read research
articles, discussed their findings in class, and then wrote a final research report outlining the
status of the field and the unsolved issues. He also assigned problems that combined multiple
physics areas and students worked collaboratively to solve these problems. As a result of this
experience with up-to-date research problems, the department has been able to successfully
recruit students for its graduate program.
For the past two years, Dr. Khanna has also added his unique perspective to the development
of the new course for the Honors College entitled Science, Technology and Society (PHYS215).
It is challenging to convey intricate scientific ideas using only basic mathematical knowledge.
Dr Khanna has incorporated modules on quantum physics, atomic clusters, nanoscience and
nanotechnology that introduce these concepts in a compelling manner with links to new
technologies in the 21st century. This course has been co-taught with Dr. Baski, Professor of
Physics and Executive Associate Dean, and she notes,
"I have seen the twinkle in Dr. Khanna's eye when he can tell the students about his
research at the nanoscale and how it may eventually impact the design of new materials.
The students then enthusiastically ask about how nanoparticles will be used in everyday
consumer products in the near future."
In addition to his efforts in the classroom, Dr. Khanna communicates his research discoveries to
the student body by participating in such events as the “Science and Technology for Society”
lecture series. In March 2009 he presented an eye-opening lecture to nearly 200 VCU students
and faculty on recent findings for alternatives sources of energy, describing his recent discovery
for possibly creating hydrogen on demand using an aluminum cluster catalyst. The animated
question and answer session afterwards certainly illustrated that Dr. Khanna’ ability to inspire
audiences with his new discoveries.
Dr. Khanna also spends a considerable amount of time fulfilling his important role as a mentor
for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral associates in his research group.
Every member in his group meets on a regular basis with Dr. Khanna to discuss their progress
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and plan future projects. As part of a bi-weekly video conference, the group members also
present their work with collaborators from Pennsylvania State University, Princeton University,
Univ. of Utah, and University of Southern California. This unique synergy between theoretical
and experimental research groups provides the necessary scientific training that can ultimately
lead to breakthrough discoveries in the 21st century.
Service
Dr. Khanna has provided extensive service to his field and to the scientific community in
numerous ways. At the professional service level, Dr Khanna has spent countless hours
serving:
•
as chairman of numerous international conferences including the (1) International
Symposium on Theory of Atomic Clusters in Richmond, VA in 2007 (which attracted
more than 140 participants from 14 countries including two Nobel laureates and several
members of the National Academy of Sciences) and in Mexico City, Mexico in June
2010 and the (2) International Symposium on Clusters, Cluster Assemblies and Nanoscale Materials, Harish-Chandra Research Inst., Allahabad, India, Feb 2009 and the Nov.
2011, Harish-Chandra Research Inst., Allahabad, India.
•
on the advisory boards of several international conferences, including the recent Fourth
International Symposium on "Atomic Cluster Collisions: structure and dynamics from the
nuclear to the biological scale” in Michigan (July 2009).
•
as a member of the Editorial Boards for the Materials Science Forum, Trans Tech
Publications Inc, and Journal of Mathematics and Sciences: Collaborative Explorations,
and as a reviewer on several proposal panels for agencies such as the Department of
Energy and as a referee for externally reviewed proposals and professional journals.
From the departmental to university level, Dr. Khanna is also someone who generously gives
his time to serve on committees and in roles necessary for the success of our academic
programs.
•
For the last three years, Dr. Khanna has been the graduate program director for the M.S.
in Physics program. This position requires a significant time commitment to process
admissions, monitor student progress, process graduation paperwork, as well as attend
college administrative meetings.
•
Dr. Khanna was an integral part of the development team for the recently approved
Ph.D. in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. This new degree is an interdisciplinary
program between the Departments of Physics and Chemistry, and Dr. Khanna will serve
on the advisory panel to help develop and implement new courses.
•
At the college and departmental level, Dr. Khanna has served on Promotion and Tenure
Committees (three in 2009-2010), the College Awards Selection Committee, and
numerous departmental search committees.
Finally, Dr. Khanna also reaches out to the community and has been involved with sciencerelated programs at area high schools. He has spoken at Collegiate School and has served as
a panelist member for the “visiting science author program” of the Chesterfield County Public
Schools during the last few years.
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Shiv N. Khanna: Personal Statement
The past twenty eight years at VCU have been the most exciting years of my life. They have
been exciting because it is here that I have realized my ultimate dream of integrating the two
ambitions that shaped my early life. The first one was to become a scientist, to understand the
mystery behind this existence, to be able to contribute to this understanding, and finally, to be
able to use this knowledge to shape things. The second dream was to follow the path of some
of the most inspiring professors, and become a successful professor who inspires and shapes
the lives of young students. After completing my Ph.D. in Delhi, India, I was offered a postdoctoral position in Grenoble, France, which has the European and other Research Centers.
The opportunity to talk and listen to famous scientists including Nobel laureates at every corner
of the building was just extraordinary. It is here that I started working on Atomic Clusters (an
area that now overlaps Nanoscience), an area where I would later spend my life. From
Grenoble, I went to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, an important center for Atomic
Clusters at the time. A few years later, I was offered a visiting associate professorship at
Northeastern University in Boston and I decided to move to USA. After spending a couple of
months at Northeastern, I came to VCU. It is here, first with two distinguished colleagues, and
later with an extremely vibrant group of post-doctoral associates, graduate students, and
undergraduate students, that I have finally fulfilled my research dream through developments
that, in our view, have the potential of shaping the material science in the 21st century. It is also
here that by sharing my scientific excitement with my post-doctoral associates, Ph.D./M.S.
students, undergraduate researchers, and with students in classes, particularly those in the
freshman courses, that I have realized my teaching ambitions.
I consider teaching to be the most satisfying component of my profession. While I have taught
several dozen classes during my career, the nature of teaching has evolved. I have become a
teacher who does not believe in the passive transmission of knowledge, but tries to inspire
creative thinking, learning in groups and building ideas through mutual discussions. I have
evolved into a teacher who integrates the latest research ideas and thinking to nurture new
ideas and inquisitiveness, while sharing the excitement of scientific breakthroughs that will
shape the future. I have learned how the new technology (clickers) can help the transmission of
knowledge by providing instant feedback and how the new simulations can help transmit
complicated concepts. I also try to share my excitement with younger students, in particular in
the “Science, Technology, and Society” course that I taught for a couple of semesters. This
course is taken by first and second year honors students from all disciplines, including the
School of Art! I added modules on quantum physics and nanoscience, including material
pertaining to the use of nanoparticles for imaging and treating brain tumors. The student
response was outstanding and their questions always kept me on my toes. My objective is to
create lifelong learners who will be prepared for any opportunity/challenge. I believe this to be
important for teaching in research universities.
Teaching, research and service, the three components of university life are inextricably blended.
It is through research that one gathers new scientific knowledge and it is through teaching that
the new knowledge and thinking is used to nurture young minds. Let me briefly describe our
research effort. My research group consists of post-doctoral associates (typically 5), Ph.D./M.S.
students (typically 2-3), and we frequently have undergraduate students (typically 2-3) and
visitors during summers. We carry out theoretical studies on entities called clusters or
nanoparticles. These are groups of atoms containing between two to a few dozen atoms with
size of one billionth of a meter, called a nanometer (nm). For nearly three decades, research
carried out in our, and other groups, has shown that when matter (with billions and billions of
atoms) is divided into very small lumps (few atoms) it behaves in new and sometimes surprising
ways. For example, the color of light produced by fluorescent materials can completely change
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when they are diced into nanoscale specks. Gold metal has been used for centuries to make
jewelry as it does not rust. When broken into small pieces, it becomes a strong catalyst and can
reduce CO emissions. These examples are just an indication of the evolutions at small sizes
and my group is precisely involved in unraveling and understanding these new mysteries.
During the course of our studies, we discovered that selected clusters can mimic the chemical
behavior of atoms in the periodic table and hence that new materials with entirely new
characteristics could be developed by using such clusters as building blocks. We named these
new building blocks “superatoms,” and proposed that the conventional periodic table of
elements, which has remained at the heart of chemistry and material science for nearly a
century, may finally need modification with “superatoms” forming a third dimension. We have
already identified a dozen super elements and have demonstrated how superatom-based
materials provide challenging opportunities. To cite an example, we recently reported a
surprising finding in the journal SCIENCE that small aluminum particles can generate hydrogen
from water, on demand. This is an important finding as we look for hydrogen cars to solve the
energy crisis. In another example, aluminum, the third most abundant element, has strong
affinity for oxygen and is found as aluminum oxide. Research in our group showed that if
aluminum was diced into pieces of specific sizes, no oxidation will occur. As aluminum powders
are used for fuels (e.g. by Air Force), such progression is significant since the oxide coating
wastes lot of unused aluminum. In yet another application, we are collaborating with scientists
from the Medical College of Virginia on using nanoparticles for imaging and treating deadly
diseases like brain tumors. Our recent effort has focused on resolving an important national
issue - finding the replacement of strategic elements (imported from China) and used in the
design and manufacturing of permanent magnets important for green technologies and effecting
both commercial and defense systems. In collaboration with experimental groups, we have
discovered materials that could replace such elements and provide a secure supply chain. Our
research findings, which have appeared in prestigious journals, have been featured in more
than 200 news reports all around the world. In addition, the research programs we have
participated in have been funded in excess of $21 million from funding agencies such as the
Army Research Office, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and Department of Energy.
I am deeply committed to involving young minds in Virginia in recent breakthroughs in the
sciences. I recently gave talks at the Math and Science Innovation Center, at the Nano-Fellows
Institute, which were extremely well received by the attending teachers and I plan to follow it
with more collaborations with the Center. I previously worked with members from the
Department of Chemistry on a proposal to start a Ph.D. program in Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology at VCU, which was approved by SCHEV. Outside VCU, I have been a panel
member for the “visiting science author program” of the Chesterfield County Public Schools and
had the opportunity to meet hundreds of high school students and parents. I had a similar
opportunity when I visited and gave a lecture at the Collegiate School here in Richmond. As a
service to the scientific community, I have organized numerous international conferences and
was the chair of the International Symposium in Richmond two years ago. I have served on
panels at the Department of Energy and am a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of
Materials Science Forum, Trans Tech Pub. Inc.
In the above, I have given a glimpse of how I have been able to share and translate my
enthusiasm in scholarship into my classroom, and how I have tried to inspire creativity and
thinking. In the end, I believe that a university professor should provide knowledge that is broad
based, is deep, but goes even farther, so that the students we prepare are not only good
professionals but also serve the community as good members of society.
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Shiv N. Khanna
Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae
Commonwealth Professor, Department of Physics, VCU, Richmond, VA 23284-2000
Ph: 804 828-1820; Fax: 804-828-7073; Email: snkhanna@vcu.edu;
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~khanna/
Professional Preparation
University of Delhi, India
University of Delhi, India
University of Delhi, India
Postdoc, CNRS, Grenoble, France
Physics
Physics
Solid State Physics
Amorphous Materials
B.S. (1970)
M.S. (1972)
Ph.D. (1976)
1977 – 1980
Appointments
2010-Present
1993-2010
1995-1998
1989-1992
1984-1988
1983-1984
1980-1983
Commonwealth Professor of Physics, Virginia Commonwealth University
Professor of Physics, Virginia Commonwealth University
Chairman, Department of Physics, Virginia Commonwealth University
Associate Professor of Physics, Virginia Commonwealth University
Assistant Professor of Physics, Virginia Commonwealth University
Visiting Associate Prof. of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, Mass.
Scientific Collaborator, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland.
Ten significant publications (250+ publications with over 6400 citations; h-index of 41 )
1. Mandal, S.; Reber, A.C.; Qian, M.; Liu, R.; Saavedra, H.M.; Sen, A.; Weiss, P.; and Khanna,
S. N.“On the stability of an unsupported mercury-mercury bond linking group 15 Zintl
clusters”, Dalton Transactions 41, 5454-5457 (2012).
2. Medel, V.M., Reveles, J.U., Khanna, S.N., Chauhan, V., Sen, A., and Castlema, Jr., A.W.,
“Hund’s rule in superatoms with transition metal impurities”, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sciences 108,
10062-10066 (2011). (Featured by more than 30 News Agencies/sites around the world.)
3. Ulises Reveles, J.; Clayborne, P. A.; Reber, A., C.; Khanna, S., N.; Pradhan, K.; Sen, P.;
and Pederson, M., R.; “ Designer magnetic superatoms”, Nature Chemistry 1, 310-315
(2009). (Discovery Covered by more than 80 News Agencies/sites around the world.)
4. Roach, P. J.; Woodward, W. H.; Castleman, Jr., A. W.; Reber, A. C.; Khanna, S. N.;
“Complementary Active Sites Cause Size-Selective Reactivity of Aluminum Cluster Anions
with Water”, Science 323, 492-495 (2009). (Discovery Covered by more than 80 News
Agencies around the world as having potential for a new source of Energy.)
5. Castleman, Jr., A.W. and Khanna, S.N. “Clusters, Superatoms and Building Blocks of New
Materials”, Invited Featured Article, Journal of Physical Chemistry,113, 2664-2675 (2009).
6. Reveles, JU; Khanna, SN; Roach, P; and Castleman, AW, Jr. Multiple Valence Superatoms,
Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 103, 18405-18410 (2006).
7. Bergeron, DE; Castleman, Jr., AW; Jones, NO; and Khanna, SN. Al Cluster Superatoms as
Halogens in Polyhalides and as Alkaline Earth in Iodide Salts, Science 307, 231-235 (2005).
(Discovery Covered by more than 100 News Agencies, Cover page of New Scientist)
8. Bergeron, DE; Castleman, Jr., AW; Morisato, T; and Khanna, SN. Formation of Al13-: Evidence
for the Superhalogen Character of Al13, Science 304, 84-87 (2004).
9. Reddy, BV; Khanna, SN; and Jena, P. Electronic, Magnetic, and Geometric Structure of
Metallo-Carbohedrenes, Science, 258, 1640-1643 (1992).
10. Khanna, S.N. and Castleman, Jr, A. W..: Editors “Quantum Phenomena in Clusters and
Nanostructures”, (Springer Verlag, 2003).
Current Research Group
1 Undergraduate Students, 2 PhD and M.S. students, 5 Postdoctoral Associates.
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Research Grants (Latest)
22)
Multi University Research Initiative (MURI) grant from AFOSR (Air Force Office of
Scientific), “Nanocatalysts in Propulsion: Mechanisms and Optimization”, 05/01/08 – 04/30/13,
$6,250,000, (SNK, Co-PI, SNK portion is $ 932,375).
23)
AFOSR,”Novel Cluster Assembled Nano-Materials and Their Properties” 3/1/122/28/2013, $70,000 (PI-S. N. Khanna).
24)
ARPA-E, “Discovery and Design of Novel Permanent Magnets using Non-Strategic
Elements”, 1/1/2012-9/30/2013, $260,056 (co-PI).
25)
Department of Energy, “Magnetic and Tunable Band Gap Cluster Building Blocks for
Novel Nanostructure Materials and Electron Transport through their Assemblies”, 02/01/11 –
01/31/14, $397,673 (PI-S. N. Khanna)
Synergistic Activities/Awards
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Consultant, Solvay North America, LLC.
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Fellow, American Physical Society.
VCU Distinguished Scholarship Award, Sept. 2010.
Distinguished Scholar Award (Coll. Human. Sci., VCU, 1995 and 2008)
Over 120 Invited talks including 3 plenary talks at International Conferences and
Institutions Around the world.
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Co-Chairman, International Symposium on Clusters, Cluster Assemblies and Nanoscale Materials, Harish-Chandra Research Inst., Allahabad, India, Nov. 2011, ViceChairman, International Conference on Theory of Atomic and Molecular Clusters, Mexico
City, June (2009); Chairman, International Conference on Theory of Atomic and Molecular
Clusters, Richmond, VA. (2007), Key organizer: International conferences in Richmond
(2003, 1999, 1995, 1991, 1986);
• Invited to serve on DOE panel and Referee for DOE proposals and professional journals
Recent Collaborators (last 4 years, alphabetical order):
M. Beltran (UNAM, Mexico), A. Koester (Cinvestav, Mexico), K. H. Bowen, (Johns Hopkins
University), A. W. Castleman (Penn. State Univ.) A. Sen (Penn. State Univer.), M. R.
Pederson (Department of Energy); F. Reuse (EPFL, Switzerland), A. Schmidt (Delft
University, The Netherlands), P. Weiss (California Nano. Inst.), S. Anderson (Univ. of Utah).
Graduate and post-graduate advisors:
A. Antonelli (Brazil University); M. Beltran (UNAM, Mexico), G. Gutsev (Florida A&M
University), T. Morisato (ACCELERIS), S. K. Nayak (RPI), B. V. Reddy (Philip Morris USA,
Retired); J. Ulises Reveles (Instructor, VCU), A. Reber (VCU), M. Qian (VCU),Debesh Roy
(currently a Professor in India), R. Rodriguez(Researcher, Spain), P. Clayborne (currently in
Finland), V. Ong (completing Ph.D. at VCU).K. A. Casalenuovo (currently in Australia).
Graduate students sponsored by PI (4 Ph.D. students):
B. V. Reddy (Ph.D. 1994, currently at Philip Morris USA), C. Ashman (Ph. D. 2002,
currently at Naval Research laboratory), N. O. Jones (instructor at VCU), P. Clayborne
(Post-Doctoral Associat, Finland)
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Letters of Support for Dr. Shiv N. Khanna
Dr. Michael Rao, President, Virginia Commonwealth University
Shiv Khanna is a rare physicist who creates bridges between theoretical work and
experimentalists in order to create knowledge that has the potential to solve real-life problems.
His work in nanotechnology - in which the future of physics lies - will have a profound effect on
the direction of science in the 21st century. Dr. Khanna’s international recognition for his
scholarship has put VCU in the forefront of the nanoscience field – a distinction that we proudly
recognized by awarding Dr. Khanna Commonwealth Professor status and bestowing upon him
the University Distinguished Scholarship Award in 2010.
Dr. Beverly J. Warren, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Virginia
Commonwealth University:
Shiv Khanna has helped VCU become a leader in the field of clusters, superatoms and
nanoscience. His highly collaborative approach to science has led to the acquisition of a multimillion dollar Multi University Research Initiative involving theoreticians and experimentalists
from prestigious universities including; Princeton University and the University of California,
among others. Shiv is known for infecting students with his enthusiasm for science, and this
enthusiasm has translated into creating other university scholars at distinguished institutions
around the country. His service work is as diverse as working with the Richmond schools to
chairing national and international conferences. His recognized ability to mobilize creative
energies has advanced the type of innovation that is central to the mission of VCU.
Dr. James Coleman, Dean, College of Humanities & Sciences, VCU
It is difficult to underestimate the significance of Dr. Khanna’s research. His work potentially
adds a third dimension to the periodic table with materials unique in their chemical and physical
properties. Such materials may enable the country to address energy and food resource needs
in the future. Dr. Khanna’s research exemplifies how basic, theoretical work into the properties
of materials leads to potentially profound real-world transformations, and I believe the manner in
which he links the theoretical to the applied rivals those of any other scientist working today.
Dr. Robert Gowdy, Chair, Department of Physics, VCU
Dr. Khanna is an internationally recognized leader in the field of atomic clusters and their
applications in catalysis, magnetism, and as new materials for the 21st century. He has
published a record number of papers in prestigious journals such as Science and the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, which have attracted coverage from news agencies such
as C&EN news, Scientific American, and the New Scientist. Most notably, Dr. Khanna's success
has been recognized by his election as a Fellow to the American Physical Society, an honor only
bestowed to less than half a percent of the society members. In addition to maintaining a worldclass research group, Dr. Khanna is strongly committed to his mission as an educator. He makes
a concerted effort to connect material in the classroom to real-life applications and engages
students with his enthusiasm. It is an honor to have a colleague such as Dr. Khanna in our
department who is a consummate teacher and scholar.
Professor A. Welford Castleman, Jr., Departments of Chemistry and Physics, The
Pennsylvania State University [Member of National Academy of Sciences]
Dr. Khanna is an outstanding scientist with numerous innovative findings and contributions to
science. I have known Shiv Khanna for many years, first through the literature, as a result of his
publications in the fields of cluster science, and magnetism, and thereafter from interactions at
scientific conferences. As I watched his work in the cluster field emerge and grow, I soon
recognized his ability to see the heart of an issue and the appropriate approach to answering
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fundamental questions. Indeed, Shiv is an individual who, from a theoretical perspective,
recognized the prospect of forming new materials through the assembly of clusters, and hence
the possibility of devising materials with tailored properties. This suggestion, backed up by very
high level calculations, spawned wide ranging activities in this area, attracting significant support
and interest from various funding agencies. Professor Khanna has now become one of the
leaders in applying DFT approaches to deducing the structure of clusters.
Professor R. Stephen Berry, Department of Chemistry and the James Franck Institute,
The University of Chicago [Member of National Academy of Sciences]
Shiv Khanna is not only an extremely versatile and creative scientist, he is also a very
stimulating collaborator as well as a mentor. My own interests overlap most strongly with his in
the area of the structure and properties of small particles, but I have also paid attention to his
work with using nanoparticles for drug delivery, with his work on magnetism of small particles
and his work on bulk liquid and amorphous metals, which includes much of his earliest
research. He has made major contributions to our understanding of the bonding in metal
clusters, and how that is related to bonding in bulk metals. He is one of the few people to study
metal clusters containing hydrogen, which may become very important for hydrogen storage.
While his own work is theoretical and computational, he has had very productive collaborations
with experimentalists; here, I think, for example, of the work in 2003 with Mark Knickelbein, and
then especially of the extensive work he has done with A. W. Castleman, beginning in 2004, a
collaboration that continues now. That work has, remarkably, even turned to the study of
interstellar matter! It has also an applied aspect in its attention to designing nanoassemblies for
specific properties. Professor Khanna has been a very influential member of the scientific
community. He has organized quite a number of excellent conferences and obviously has been
a very active contributor to the academic life of Virginia Commonwealth University.
Professor Ravindra Pandey, Chair, Dept. of Physics, Michigan Technological University
Shiv is an outstanding physicist whose thorough research and deep insight has led to our
current understanding of the magnetism in materials at the nanoscale. He has always had an
eye for the applications-related physics problems of technologically important materials, while
addressing the fundamental physics issues in materials science. In the past two decades, he
has successfully addressed the structure-property issues in metallic and nonmetallic nanoscale
materials. Shiv possesses the unique combination of original thinking and versatility in
knowledge and efforts - that makes him a highly successful and accomplished scientist. The
high regard with which Shiv's work is held by others in his field is attested by numerous citations
to his work, and invitations to national and international conferences. He is also a prolific
scientist publishing about 50+ refereed papers in very high impact journals in the last five years
including, Nature Chemistry, Science, Nano Letters and Physical review Letters. He is an
exceptionally bright scientist who has done a superb job in handling multi-disciplinary projects in
collaboration with experimental groups at various universities.
Professor Louis Bloomfield, Department of Physics, University of Virginia
I have interacted with Shiv Khanna extensively for more than 20 years and know him to be an
excellent scientist, engaging teacher, and compelling role model for the many students he has
mentored in his long career. He studies important scientific problems, asking good questions
and finding their solutions through hard work and careful thought. He is recognized
internationally as an expert on the theory of clusters and nanoscience, and is one of the top
dozen theorists worldwide who work on the electronic structure of those tiny pieces of matter.
He is personable and genuine, quick with a kind word and generous to those who need support
or guidance. Shiv always seems to have time to help you figure out the answer to your question
or to give you advice when you're looking for it. I have been a recipient of the SCHEV
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Outstanding Faculty Award myself and know many others who have received it. Shiv is the
equal of any of those recipients and I would be delighted if he were chosen for the award.
Professor Arun Bansil, Department of Physics, Northeastern University
Professor Khanna is a recognized world-class leader in the field of atomic clusters, having made
pioneering contributions to the field which have served as a roadmap for new directions. His
earlier work on the magnetic properties of transition metal clusters provided the first theoretical
understanding of the dynamical behavior at small sizes. He was the first to propose that small
clusters of non-magnetic atoms could be highly magnetic. Two of his papers addressing this
problem have been cited more than 200 times. His major recent scientific breakthrough for
which he has attracted worldwide attention relates to “superatoms” or clusters of atoms that
behave in many ways as superatoms in terms of their chemical and physical properties. Such
new chemical building blocks could not only provide in effect a new dimension to the periodic
table but this discovery opens the pathway to design new classes of novel nanoscale materials
with specific attributes. Professor Khanna has himself recently demonstrated this possibility,
which is bound to open up new avenues of research in materials science. It is for this discovery
that he was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society.
Professor Kit H. Bowen, Departments of Chemistry and Materials Science, Johns
Hopkins University
Professor Shiv Khanna has made numerous outstanding contributions to theoretical materials
physics. I have been especially appreciative of his work on the electronic and magnetic
properties of clusters and in particular of his work with “superatoms”, i.e., clusters which mimic
the properties of atoms in the periodic table. Specifically, his work on transition metal cluster
interactions with organic molecular templates, his work with silicon encapsulated transition
metal and rare earth metal atoms, and his work on aluminum clusters have all been
extraordinary. His productivity is furthermore reflected in the fact that he has published about
200 papers, given about 100 invited talks, and attained regular funding from several federal
agencies.
Dr. Mark Pederson, Program Manager, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department
of Energy and Adjunct Scientist, Naval Research Laboratory
Shiv is highly deserving of this award due to both his international recognition for his scholarship
in the area of theory of clusters, molecules and cluster materials and because of his successful
history in teaching and mentoring future scientists. Shiv’s work has concentrated on describing
the behavior of clusters and molecules through the use of theory and computation. In addition
he has impacted the evolution of this field by hosting a series of meetings on cluster and
molecular properties during the last fifteen years. His work has concentrated on applying
computational methods to predict, explain, and enhance the properties of clusters and
molecules. His work in this area is widespread and includes predictions of electronic properties,
geometrical structures, photoemission spectra, magnetic/spin ordering, the role of ligands in
molecular magnets, magic clusters, surface magnetism and demagnetism, and “superatoms”
(e.g. cluster building blocks). While Shiv has been a recognized international leader in the
areas of clusters and cluster assembled materials, the immediate international recognition of his
work on “Designer Magnetic Superatoms,” which appeared In Nature Chemistry, underscores
his stature in the field of cluster-based materials.
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Additional Documentation for Dr. Shiv N. Khanna
Summary of Service (Selected)
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Graduate program director for M.S. in Physics (2006-present, 1993-1995)
Sciences representative to the College of Humanities and Sciences Promotion and
Tenure Committee (2009-2012)
Member of the search committee for the Provost and Vice President for Academic
Affairs, 2010
University Appeal Panel
College of Humanities and Sciences awards committee (2008-2009)
College Research Advisory Committee (2007-08)
VCU Academic Computing Advisory Committee
Tenure and promotion committees (physics, mathematics, philosophy)
Reviewer for following funding agencies: Department of Energy, National Science
Foundation, Petroleum Research Fund, JSPS (Japan).
Reviewer for the following scientific journals: Physical Review Letters, The Physical
Review, Europhysics Letters, Journal de Physique, Journal of Physics, J. Am. Chem. Soc.
Reviewer for the following publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers
List of Graduate Students & Thesis/Dissertation Titles (chronological order)
1. Master Dissertation on "Electronic structure and stability of Pt clusters" by J.P. Bucher,
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (1982).
2. Master Dissertation on "Stability and metastability of very small clusters" by P. Eckert,
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (1982).
3. Master Dissertation on "Monte-Carlo study of a system of electronic moments in dipolar
interaction" by J. Essinger, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (1983).
4. M.S. Thesis on "Effect of volume on the magnetic behavior of Ni, Fe, and Co transition
metal" by B.V. Reddy, VCU (1991).
5. Ph.D. Thesis "Electronic Structure and Magnetic Properties of Mixed Cluster" of B.V.
Reddy, VCU (Sept. 1994).
6. Ph.D. Thesis "Geometries, Electronic Structure and Magnetic Properties of Pure and Mixed
Clusters" of C. R. Ashman, VCU (April, 2002).
7. M.S. Thesis on "Magnetic Transitions in Mn5 and Mn6 Clusters" by Naiche O. Jones, VCU
(April, 2003).
8. M. S. Thesis “Silicon Oxide Nanoparticles and the Origin of Silicate Grains in
Circumstellar Environments”, Penee A. Clayborne, VCU (Nov., 2006).
9. Ph.D. Thesis “A Prelude to a Third Dimension of the Periodic Table: Superatoms of
Aluminum Iodide Clusters”, N. O. Jones, VCU (Nov., 2006).
10. M. S. Thesis “A. Theoretical Investigation of the Magnetic, Electronic, and Structural
Properties of Endohedral Metallofullerenes” S. Vincent Ong, VCU (May 2008).
11. M. S. Thesis “Density Functional Investigations of Pure and Ligated Clusters” K.
Casalenuovo VCU (May 2009).
12. Ph. D. Thesis “Density Functional Studies of the Stability of Clusters” Penee Clayborne,
VCU (Dec. 2009).
13. M. S. Thesis “Theoretical Investigations of the structure and stability of gas phase
TixOy0/+ clusters” B. Kaur, VCU (May 2010).
Comprehensive List of Research Grants (chronological order)
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Army Research Office; 1985-88, $264,000. (Co-PI)
Jeffress and Gwathmey Memorial Trust; 1987-88, $17,100. (Co-PI)
Department of Energy; 1987-90, $379,631. (Co-PI)
Army Research Office; 1988-91, $300,000. (Co-PI)
Department of Energy; 1990-93, $430,507. (Co-PI)
Army Research Office; 1992-995, ~$300,000. (Co-PI)
Department of Energy; 1993-96, $474,277. (Co-PI)
Army Research Office; 1995-998, ~$300,000. (Co-PI)
Department of Energy; 1996-99, $563,134. (Co-PI)
Department of Energy; 1999-2002, $585,660. (Co-PI)
Department of Energy: “Transition Metal Clusters Supported on Molecular Templates”,
9/2002-8/2005, $536,740. (Co-PI)
Department of Energy; “Establishing Concepts for the Use of Clusters as Building Blocks
of New Nanoscale Materials”, 9/2002-2/2006, $612,500. (Co-PI)
Philip-Morris USA; “Interaction of CO, NO and O2 on Metal-Oxide Catalysts and
Reduction of PAH’s Using Metal Atoms” 12/2003-12/2005, $318,782 . (Co-PI)
Dept. of Energy; “Coated and Supported Metal Clusters” 9/2005-8/2008, $547,404. (CoPI).
Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); “Self-assembled semiconductor
Quantum Dots for Spin Based optical and Electronic Quantum Computing”, $160,062,
2004-08, (Co-PI).
AFOSR, “Aluminum Cluster-Based Materials for Propulsion and Other Applications”,
3/2005-3/2008, $165,000. (PI)
National Institutes of Health; “Metallofullerene Nanoplatform for Imaging & Treating
Infiltrative Tumor”, 10/2005 – 9/2010, $3,700,000. (Co-PI)
Department of Energy; “Superatoms and Metal-Semiconductor Motifs for Cluster
Materials’ 3/2006-2/2009, $525,000. (Co-PI)
AFOSR, “Aluminum Cluster-Based Materials for Propulsion and Other Applications”,
1/2008-12/2008, $50,000. (PI-S. N. Khanna).
ERC Corp., “Ignition of Propellants through Nanostructured Materials, 8/2008-7/2009,
$17,500.
Multi University Research Initiative (MURI) grant from Army Research Office; “Superatoms
as Building Blocks of New Materials”, 5/2006-4/2011, $5,000,000 (Co-PI, VCU = $1.25
million)).
Multi University Research Initiative (MURI) grant from AFOSR, “Nanocatalysts in
Propulsion: Mechanisms and Optimization”, 5/2008 – 4/2013, $6,250,000, (Co-PI, VCU
= $932,375).
AFOSR, ”Cluster Assembled Materials for Nanoenergetic Applications and Catalysis”,
1/2009-12/2011, $202,500 (PI)
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Patents
U. S. Patent No.: 7,712,471; Awarded: May 11, 2010
Title: Methods for forming transition metal oxide clusters and smoking articles comprising
transition metal oxide clusters.
Inventors: F. Rasouli, S. N. Khanna, M. R. Hajaligol, and B. V. Reddy.
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Coverage by News Media: Recent work of Dr. Khanna's research group has received wide media
coverage around the world, as illustrated below.
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