Ghosh’s Engineering Research is Out of This World
Dr. Sujan Ghosh, assistant professor of engineering at UA Little Rock, set his sights on becoming an engineer early on in high school.
“I always liked to fix stuff and play with different machines,” Ghosh recalls. “Going into engineering seemed like the logical choice. In Bangladesh, you have to have very good grades and take an entrance exam to get into engineering school. I got lucky and loved every bit of it.”
After earning his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Ghosh moved to the United States to pursue his graduate education.
After experiencing a “weather shock” while earning his master’s degree in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Ghosh moved south to earn his Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas in 2017. He joined UA Little Rock last year.
“I’ve always been passionate about education and teaching so when the opportunity presented itself, we took advantage of it,” he said. “My son was just three months old when he moved here, and we thought it would be a great place to raise a family.”
Ghosh and his wife Maia, an administrative manager at UAMS, live in Benton with their 1-year-old son, Shayan.
At UA Little Rock, Ghosh said his favorite part of being a professor is seeing how much his students are growing and learning.
“I love the day-to-day interactions with students, especially the seniors,” he said. “You see how much they have improved over the years and how much they have learned about engineering. It’s fulfilling to see how they have grown over the years. This is the best part of my job.”
As a researcher, Ghosh is focused on materials and surface engineering in tribology, which is the study of the science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion and the application of friction, wear, lubrication, and related design aspects.
Now his engineering research is taking him to new heights with his current research focused on helping humans reach Earth’s celestial neighbor. He and a partner researcher at the University of Arkansas are working on developing a ceramic thin coating application to use on moon landers that will carry future astronauts to the moon.
“I work with biomimic materials and polymer composites and soft and hard coatings to further NASA’s space exploration,” Ghosh said. “I make some ceramic-based coating that can withstand the temperature differentiate (-120℃) for moon landers.”
Ghosh’s advice for students who want to become engineers is to consider how they can use engineering to make a positive impact in the world.
“I am always thinking about how our work can change people’s lives for the better,” he said. “People who become good engineers should become good people, and everything will follow. If you care about the people around you, you will be a good engineer.”
