Purdue ECE professors Peter Bermel and Zubin Jacob named University Faculty Scholars
Peter Bermel and Zubin Jacob, both Elmore Professors in Purdue University’s Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, have been named University Faculty Scholars, a distinction that recognizes outstanding mid-career faculty members on an accelerated path toward academic distinction. The University Faculty Scholars Program honors faculty with strong national and international reputations in research, teaching and service, while also recognizing their potential for future contributions with lasting impact.
The recognition highlights the breadth of innovation within Purdue ECE. Bermel and Jacob’s research reflects two fast-moving areas of engineering research: advanced energy technologies and next-generation photonics and sensing.
Bermel’s research focuses on using nanophotonics to improve photovoltaic, thermophotovoltaic and microelectronic systems. In practical terms, his work explores how light and heat can be controlled at very small scales to improve energy conversion and device performance. That includes research tied to photovoltaics, which convert sunlight into electricity, and thermophotovoltaics, which convert heat into electricity through thermal radiation.
Jacob’s research centers on nanophotonics, advanced sensing and imaging, and the interaction of light with materials at extremely small scales. Recent Purdue descriptions of his work highlight efforts in heat-assisted detection and ranging, or HADAR, along with the development of new sensors, edge computing devices and meta-optical approaches to thermal imaging that could expand applications in areas such as autonomous navigation, security, medical imaging and remote sensing.
Together, the honors for Bermel and Jacob underscore Purdue ECE’s strength in research with real-world relevance, from more efficient energy technologies to new ways of seeing and sensing the world. Their selection as University Faculty Scholars recognizes both their accomplishments so far and the impact their work is expected to have in the years ahead.