Prathima Nalam
PhD
Research Topics
Tribology; soft mechanics; surface and interfacial forces; atomic force microscopy
Education
- PhD at ETH, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Department of Materials, Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology (Dr. Sc. ETH Zurich), 2012
- MSc, ETH, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Department of Materials, Zurich, Specialization in Nano Science and Technology (M Sc. ETH Zurich), 2007
- B. Tech., Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering (JNTU), Visakhapatnam, India, 2002
Academic Appointments
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA (2015-2016).
- NBIC Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, USA (2013-2015).
- SNSF Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, USA (2012-2013).
- Research Assistant, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, India (2002 - 2005).
- Associate Editor, Journal of Tribology, The American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Society (2024-Present)
- Early Career editorial board member, Tribology Letters, Springer-Nature (2021- Present)
- Member, Annual Meeting Program Committee (AMPC), Society for Tribology and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) (2024-Present)
Honors and Awards
- Dean’s Faculty Leadership Award, Inaugural award, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University at Buffalo, 2024-2025
- National Early Career Award, National Science Foundation (NSF), 2023
- Early Career Award, Society of Tribology and Lubrication Engineers (STLE), 2023
- UB Faculty National Achievement Award, University at Buffalo Academic Excellence Recognition Awards, 2023.
- Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Fellowship for the Postdoctoral Research Program, 2012-2013.