Vaibhav Sanjay Kathavate, PhD, landed at the North Carolina State University (NCSU), USA in May 2022 after his first postdoctoral research at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB). He earned his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology Indore (IIT Indore). At NCSU, he is associated with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow. Prior to joining IIT Indore, he served as Project Scientist at the National Institute of Ocean Technology Chennai (NIOT) under the aegis of Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. His research interests lie at the intersection of experimental mechanics and micro/nanotechnology, electrochemistry at surfaces and inter-faces of advanced crystalline materials, and stimuli-responsive smart coatings for clinical translation and water/oil repellent applications. With a continuing motivation from "nature", he is keen to correlate his research with natural activities, thereby serving the emerging needs of the society. He has authored various scientific articles of an international repute. When Dr. Kathavate is not researching, he attempts to sing classical songs involving different Indian languages. He is also enthusiastic about experiencing different cultural and regional activities across the nooks and corners of the globe. Dr. Pravin Pralhad Deshpande is working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science, College of Engineering Pune (COEP) INDIA. He completed number of research projects sponsored by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), University Grants Commission (UGC), Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO), Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and University of Pune (UoP). He has authored many referred international publications, guided PhD students from diverse background and worked as a consultant for many industries. He is an active member of a study group on Metallurgical Heritage of India, Indian National Academy of Engineering, India. He served as a Visiting Professor at Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU), Russia during 2016 and 2017. His hobbies include playing electrical banjo and reading literature on ancient metallurgy.
