Biography

VITA

Brief Biography
Nandika Anne D’Souza is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and heads the Polymer Mechanical and Rheology Laboratory. She is interested in interactions and properties of heterogeneous materials- blends, alloys, composites and nanocomposites. Her teaching and research focus is on mechanical properties, fracture, transport phenomena, viscoeleasticity, rheology and polymer characterization. 

Education
PhD (Mechanical Engineering), Texas A&M University, Aug. 1994.
MS (Materials Engineering), Auburn University, March 1991
BE (Polymer Engineering), University of Pune, July 1988.

Experience
2008 - present     Professor, Department of Materials Science, University of North Texas
2002 - 2007         Associate Professor, Department of Materials Science,
                            University of North Texas
1996 - 2002         Assistant Professor, Department of Materials Science,
                            University of North Texas
1994 - 1996         Post-doctoral research associate with Prof. Witold Brostow, Department of
                            Chemistry and Center for Materials Characterization,
                            University of North Texas

Awards
College of Engineering, UNT, Research Award (2008)
NASA Faculty Fellowship Program, Kennedy Space Center (2003)
Developing Scholar Award, University of North Texas (2000-2002)
Outstanding Service on Behalf of National Medal Winners, University of North Texas (1998).
Vinyl Division Thesis Award: International Society of Plastics Engineers (1994)

Synergistic Activities
Society of Plastics Engineers: Nandika D’Souza is an active member of the Society of Plastics Engineers and serves on the Board of the Plastics Analysis Division. She has been student activities chair for the Annual International Conference of SPE and works interactively with the South Texas Section. An endowment for development of engineers with knowledge of polymers has been set up in UNT and she actively seeks to raise funds for this endowment.

Women Engineers: Nandika D’Souza is an active member, co-faculty advisor and supporter of the Society of Women Engineers chapter, a mentor for mentornet.net, committee member on the status of women at UNT and Girl Scouts supporter.

Reviewer: Nandika D’Souza reviews papers for a number of journals including polymer, polymer engineering and science, journal of applied polymer science and journal of polymer physics. She also reviews dissertations internationally as an external reviewer.