Prof. Pramod Reddy is Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Prof. Reddy received his dual degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Bombay in 2002 and Ph.D. in Applied Science and Technology from the University of California, Berkeley in 2007.

Prof. Reddy’s research aims to study the transport of energy and the conversion of energy from heat to electricity in objects where the critical dimensions are nanometer sized (i.e. a billionth of a meter in size). The flow of energy in objects with these tiny dimensions is governed by quantum mechanics and is fundamentally different from that observed in macroscopic objects. Understanding these “nanoscale” transport properties is essential for the development of novel electronic and memory devices as well as materials that can convert heat to electricity at very high efficiencies.

Prof. Reddy’s experimental work, performed by employing modern tools such as scanning tunneling microscopes and nanofabricated devices, has provided deeper insights into phenomena that have eluded experimental probing. For example, the work performed by him during his PhD has helped in establishing the field of molecular thermoelectrics. Recently, his latest work has provided first insights into how the celebrated laws of thermal radiation-originally established by Max Planck over a century ago-breakdown in nanometer-sized gaps. Finally, his work has experimentally probed the flow of heat in single atoms and shown how heat transport features novel quantum features even at room temperatures.

Prof. Reddy has received National Science Foundation CAREER award in 2009 and has been awarded Young Faculty Award by Defense Advanced Research Project Agency in 2012.