Akbar, Sheikh

Biography

Dr. Sheikh A. Akbar is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and founder of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Industrial Sensors and Measurements (CISM). His recent work deals with synthesis-microstructure-property relations of ceramic bulk, thin-film and nano-heterostructures for applications in electrochemical devices (sensors, fuel cells, batteries) and biomedical applications.

Awards and honors

  • 2023 Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award, Highest Teaching Award at OSU
  • 2018 Fellow of the Electrochemical Society
  • 2017, 2016 Mars G. Fontana Outstanding Teacher Award in Materials Science and Engineering
  • 2017 distinguished lecturer in SJTU International Summer School of Advanced Materials (ISS-AM) in Shanghai, China
  • 2012 Electrochemical Society Sensor Division Outstanding Achievement Award
  • 2007, 2005 three R&D 100 Awards as part of the 100 best inventions, selected by R&D Magazine
  • 2005 NASA TGIR (turning goal into reality) award
  • 2002 Tan Chin Tuan Fellow of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore
  • 2002 W.E. Cramer Award of the American Ceramic Society
  • 2001 Fulrath Award, American Ceramic Society
  • 2001 Fellow of the American Ceramic Society
  • 1993 B.F. Goodrich Collegiate Inventors Award for the development of a rugged and durable CO/H2 sensor; one of three national awards.

Appointments

  • 2018 - present Editor of Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical
  • 2008 Chair of the 12th International Conference on Chemical Sensors (IMCS-12). This meeting was attended by 330 participants from more than 30 countries.
  • International Advisory Committee of CIMTEC conferences
  • Steering Committee of the International Conference on Engineering Education (ICEE)
  • Technical Steering Committee of the US-DOE Sensor and Controls Program
  • External Advisory Board Member of CENT, KFUPM, KSA
  • ICON Professor, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Distinguished Professor, UKM, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Tan Chin Tuan Faculty Fellow, NTU, Singapore
  • Steering Committee of the US-Japan Conference on Sensor Systems for the 21st Century
  • Editorial Boards for:
    • Journal of Nanoengineering and Nanomanufacturing
    • Materials Focus
    • Sensors
    • Ceramics International
    • Journal of Nanomaterials
    • Sensor Letters
    • Frontiers in Materials (Function Ceramics Chief Editor for two years).
  • co-organized sensor symposia for:
    • American Ceramic Society
    • Electrochemical Society
    • IMCS (USA, Korea, Austria, Canada, China)
    • ICMAT (Singapore), AMEC-4 (China)
    • ICC3 (Japan)
    • CMCEE (Canada, Korea)
    • ICC8 (Korea)

Notable publications and books

  • Dr. Akbar has co-edited two books on sensors. 
  • He has published more than 275 technical papers and holds 8 patents with an h-index of 54.
  • 2022-23 Editor of special issue, “Science and Technology of Advanced Materials Applied to Society”, Materials

  • 2023 Editor of Special issue, “Advanced Functional Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications” Chemosensors

  • 2019 Guest Editor of a special issued titled “Nano-hetero-structures for Chemical Sensing: Opportunities and Challenges” published in Frontiers in Materials
  • Principal editor of special issues titled, “Nano-structured Ceramic Oxides: Challenges and Opportunities” and “Energy and Environment: Role of Advanced Materials” published by the American Scientific Publisher in 2011 and 2014, respectively.
  • 2012 Guest editor of a special issue titled, “Sensing at the Nano-scale: Chemical and Biosensing” published Sensors
  • 2003 Guest editor for two special sections of the Journal of Materials Science, “Chemical Sensors for Pollution Monitoring and Control” and “Chemical and Bioceramics”

Expertise

B.S. and M.S. in solid state physics

PhD in Materials Engineering

Dr. Akbar's recent work deals with synthesis-microstructure-property relations of ceramic bulk, thin-film and nano-heterostructures for electrochemical devices (sensors and fuel cells) and biomedical applications.