Sikandar Azam

What would be your dream job?

My dream job is to get a Faculty position at a top academic institution. I believe that the resources provided to me by EME Penn State, and the support of my advisors, Dr. Sekhar Bhattacharyya and Dr. Shimin Liu, push me closer to getting my dream job.

What made you choose your major?

I was born and raised in the mining community, and my father also works with Coal India Limited, India. I also worked for it for over two years. Due to my lifelong experience with mining, first as a resident and then as an employee, I consider EME to be what I love and know the best, and I should move ahead with it.

The best part of doing a Ph.D. at Penn State is the immense resources it provides. I never had a problem in getting whatever research related I wanted. Located in the middle of the beautiful Nittany mountains, everything you need, from superb MRI (Materials research institute) to HPC (High-performance computing) resources, for a great research experience is here at Penn State.

What student organizations and activities are you involved in?

I am currently a member of SME and SPE. I was the Secretary of the EME graduate student council for the term 2022-23, where we strive to make the graduate experience a pleasant experience for grad students.

What is the best class you’ve taken at Penn State and why?

That CHE510- Surface characterization of materials. I enjoyed it because I am interested in learning surface characterization techniques. The course was well-designed and taught by Dr. Seong Kim, who has decades of experience implementing surface characterization techniques.

Research

My research focuses on the characterization of the Physicochemical properties of nano-sized particulates and understanding their implications on miners’ health. My research has life-saving outcomes for workers chronically exposed to nano-sized particulates in occupational industries such as mining. My research has life-saving outcomes for workers who are chronically exposed to nano-sized mineral dust particulates in constrained occupational environments such as mining.

Methods

My work is a blend of lab, fieldwork and modeling exercises. I collect samples of nano-sized mineral dust using specific sampling equipment and techniques from the underground mine. Sometimes I also generate nano-sized mineral dust samples in the lab. After sample collection, I characterize them at MCL Penn State. Further, I use modeling to understand the interaction between nano-sized particles and the mining environment.