Gopal K. Pradhan

Gopal K. Pradhan obtained his Master Degree in Physics from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar followed by his PhD in experimental condensed matter physics from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore. Following his PhD, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas, Austin, USA and at the Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris, France. He also worked as a visiting researcher at Lulea University of Technology, Sweden and as a research associate at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Prior to joining KIIT University, he was a visiting scientist at Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar. His broad research interest has been to understand thermal, elastic, structural and bonding properties of materials, structure-property relationship and microscopic mechanism of thermodynamically driven phase transitions using Raman and Brillouin scattering and synchrotron x-ray diffraction (XRD). Particularly, use of high pressure in condensed matter systems has been an integral part of his research activity with an active interest in the physics and chemistry of planetary interior. In particular, he is interested in understanding various condensed matter phenomena under high pressure that provides important fundamental insights on designing functional and exotic materials. He also uses his knowledge of high-pressure science in understanding the melting processes of the deep Earth, such as at the core-mantle boundary conditions. He has a sound background in high pressure methods including laser heating in ultra-high pressure conditions, Raman and Brillouin scattering, synchrotron x-ray diffraction. He has been an active user of major synchrotron based x-ray sources such as ESRF (France), ELETTRA (Italy) & APS (USA) to address some of the pressing issues in condensed matter physics and planetary interiors. Beyond his academic and research interests, Dr. Pradhan co-founded the Social Startup “Villamart” that is working to enhance and strengthen the lives of rural people particularly farmers to build strong, prosperous agricultural communities. It was adjudged as one of the top 10 social enterprises of India at the Tata Social Enterprise Challenge (TSEC 2017) conducted by IIM Calcutta. He co-founded “Bhubaneswar Area Scientific Events (BASE)”, an integrated online calendar page that displays various scientific events happening in the greater Bhubaneswar area. The calendar aims to foster better academic coordination & interaction, visibility & dissemination of information to interested people. In 2007, he along with his MSc classmates co-founded “Vanivihar Physics Alumni Fund” at the Department of Physics, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. This fund provides financial support to the poor and needy students during their financial hardship. Besides his scientific interest, he enjoys Indian classical music, travel, cooking and Odia poetry.