Timothy D. Sands

 Timothy D. Sands (born March 26, 1958) is an American materials engineer, researcher and the 16th president of Virginia Tech.^[1] Sands previously served as the acting president and as the provost of Purdue University.

Education[edit]

Sands earned his B.S. with Highest Honors in Engineering Physics in 1980, his M.S. in Material Science and Engineering in 1981, and his Ph.D. in Material Science and Engineering in 1984, all from the University of California, Berkeley.^[2]

Current research[edit]

Sands has published more than 260 papers and has 16 patents in nanotechnology and microelectronics. Sands' current research focus is on the development of novel nanocomposite materials for environmentally friendly and cost-effective solid-state lighting, direct conversion of heat to electrical power and thermoelectric refrigeration.^[3] Sands is considered a leader in the field of light-emitting diodes (LEDs).^[4]

Career[edit]

Sands began his career with an internship as a researcher at the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), now known as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado where he focused his efforts on renewable energy research. Following his graduation from U.C. Berkeley's doctoral program in Materials Science and Engineering in 1984, Sands continued his career as a member of the technical staff of the New Jersey-based technology firm Bellcore, now known as Telcordia. In 1991, Sands became the director of the Thin Films and Interface Science Research Group, and in 1992 he became the director of the Nonvolatile Memory Research Group.^[5]

UC Berkeley[edit]

Sands left industry in 1993 to return to academia as a professor in the Materials Science and Engineering department at his alma mater, U.C. Berkeley. In 1997, Sands became the Chair of the Applied Science and Technology Graduate Group at U.C. Berkeley.