Kaustubh G. Naik earned a dual degree (BTech and MTech) in mechanical engineering in 2019 from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, and he now is a fourth-year PhD student in mechanical engineering at Purdue University. His research on batteries for electric vehicles has taken its lead from the drastic effects of climate change on a global scale arising from the excessive use of fossil fuels. He strongly believes that electrochemical energy storage systems can play a pivotal role in facilitating the switch to clean energy alternatives and making them affordable and accessible to all sections of the population. His work in mechanistic physics-based modeling for solid-state batteries, which Purdue recognized through the 2023 Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship, has culminated in five first-author publications in high-impact journals, multiple conference presentations, and a collaboration with Nissan Motors. Naik, who credits his own mentors for his academic success, describes the time he spends mentoring students as “easily my favorite part of the day”. As a faculty member, he plans to work on the development of novel battery chemistries that utilize earth-abundant materials and environment-friendly extraction methods, building cheaper batteries and reducing the carbon footprint. He hopes to build a diverse research group consisting of students from underrepresented sections of society so that he can equip them with the scientific tools needed to bring the clean energy transition to their communities.

Research Interests

Energy Storage and Conversion