Engineering Solutions for Modern Challenges in Advanced Materials Science

Dr. Deepanraj Balakrishnan is currently working as Assistant Research Profesor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Saudi Arabia. He has 13 years of working experience, which include both teaching and research. Dr. Deepanraj has published more than 200+ research articles in peer reviewed international journals and conferences and holds 4 Indian patents. He is serving as guest editor, editorial board member and reviewer for many international peer reviewed journals including well known publishers like Elsevier, Springer and Inderscience. His area of interest includes Renewable Energy Utilization; Materials Engineering, Waste Management and Sustainability.

Dr Ratna Sunil received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Andhra University, India, in 2004 and Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Osmania University, India in 2007. Dr Ratna Sunil earned his Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India, in 2014 in the field of Biomaterials. Dr. Sunil has 15 years of experience in teaching and research in the areas of Materials Engineering, Manufacturing Processes and Surface Engineering. Dr. Sunil has been listed in world top 2% scientists announced by Stanford University, USA, consecutively for five years (from 2020 to 2024). Dr. Sunil has published more than 140 scientific papers in international peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings and authored a book titled “Surface Engineering by Friction-Assisted Processes: Methods, Materials, and Applications” available with CRC Press, USA. From the research findings, Dr. Sunil has filed 20 Indian patents.

Dr. Wattala Rohan Fernando holds the position of Lecturer in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the School of Science and Engineering (SSEN), and he is also a lecturer at The Centre for Energy, Petroleum, and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP), where he teaches energy-related modules associated with SSEN. After completing his studies at Northumbria University Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK, in 2011, Fernando gained significant experience through roles with Ericson, Vodafone, and Huawei, contributing to various projects, including the London Olympic Project. In 2015, he completed his MSc in Energy, Water, and Environmental Management at Abertay University Dundee, UK. The practical experience acquired at Ericson, Vodafone, and Huawei proved invaluable, particularly in power and energy engineering, facilitating his MSc studies. In 2020, he successfully earned his PhD in energy engineering from Edinburgh Napier University. Concurrently, during his PhD, Fernando completed six European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) PhD courses at Aalborg University in Aalborg, Denmark. Before joining the University of Dundee in January 2023, Fernando held positions as a research officer at Hydrogen Accelerator, St Andrews University, a research and teaching assistant at Edinburgh Napier University, and a visiting lecturer at the University of Applied Management Studies, Mannheim, Germany, and German Business School, the University of Tunis, for an MBA in Energy Management. With more than 12 years of experience, he actively participated in national and international industry projects in electronics, telecommunications, and power engineering before transitioning to academia.