Dr. Verma will join Rice University as an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering in July 2027. He earned a B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University in 2019, M.Phil.’s in Materials Science from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London in 2020 and 2021, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2026. He then pursued postdoctoral research as a Welch Postdoctoral Fellow of the LSRF. His work has contributed to two Guinness World Records for vehicle efficiency, thermophotovoltaic efficiency and power density records, and advances in functional materials for energy conversion. His research focuses on developing next-generation thermal technologies for clean energy generation and delivery, tying fundamental and translational research to accelerate the energy transition.
WEBSITE(S)| VERTechs Lab | Google Scholar
Research Areas
Dr. Verma directs the Verma Energy Research and Technologies (VERTechs) Lab. His research integrates high-temperature materials design, thermal device engineering, and energy-systems analysis to develop technologies for a cleaner and more reliable energy system. His group works across the energy-conversion chain: synthesis and characterization of functional materials, design of thermal and chemical conversion devices, and system-level techno-economic analysis. Current research directions include thermophotovoltaics, thermionics, high-temperature heat pumps, and extreme-field materials synthesis.
Education
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2026
M.Phil. in Materials Science, Imperial College London, 2021
M.Phil. in Materials Science, University of Cambridge, 2020
B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering, Duke University, 2019
Honors & Awards
2026 Welch Postdoctoral Fellow
2025 Martin Sustainability Fellow
2023 PD Soros Fellow
2019 NSF GRFP Fellow
2019 Marshall Scholar