Neil Dasgupta, associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering at the University of Michigan, has been named the 2025 ASME Thar Energy Award winner.
The Thar Energy Award is granted by the ASME Design Engineering Division. It recognizes “individuals who have made significant contributions to the design research, innovation, and product design in the areas related to energy engineering.”
“So often we hear about the importance of thermal sciences and materials research when it comes to energy technology, which are of course, essential,” Dasgupta said. “However, it is less often that we hear about the importance of design and manufacturing, which I view as equally important to realize next-generation energy technologies. Therefore, as an interdisciplinary mechanical engineer who works across all of these fields, this recognition means a lot to me, as it especially recognizes the important contributions in the field of design for energy technologies.”
Dasgupta has made many significant contributions to the field of energy engineering. His work focuses on understanding the inter-relationships between mechanics, materials science, and electrochemistry, spanning multiple energy technologies, including batteries, solar energy materials, and catalysts.
“A unique aspect of our work is the emphasis on model-informed design of new material architectures, including 3-D battery electrodes and photocatalyst materials that are co-optimized for their optical, electronic, and chemical performances,” he explained.
Among his many projects, Dasgupta’s recent work on a modified manufacturing process for electric vehicle batteries has gained attention for its potential to mitigate challenges that turn potential EV buyers away. The design for this project was developed in the U-M Battery Lab and studied at the Michigan Center for Materials Characterization.
Dasgupta said that winning the Thar Energy Award for his work is a great honor that was supported by many ME faculty members and students.
“I would like to thank my nominators and letter writers for their support, all of the mentors here in the ME Department at University of Michigan, and especially, the team of students and postdocs that made this research possible and translated conceptual design sketches on a whiteboard into reality,” he said.
