Dayton Engineer
Nanomaterials Professor Honored with Oxford Award for Excellence in Scientific Research
By Keelin Kelly
In December 2023, professor Dr. Khalid Lafdi from the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering attended the Oxford Awards at the University of Oxford, U.K. to receive the Honoris Causa Doctor of Innovation in Scientific Research award.
The award honors individuals from all around the world who have demonstrated leadership, teamwork, devotion, humanism and professionalism and contributed substantially to their respective disciplines, setting new standards for excellence.
“The award is not for me.” Lafdi said, “It is for us — for all of the students that spend their time with me and all of my collaborators from all over the world. I have to recognize their contribution.”
Dr. Lafdi joined the University of Dayton in 2001 as a professor to lead the nano research activity and was inducted as the Wright Brothers Institute Endowed Chair in Nano Materials in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering in 2011. He was responsible for establishing the Nanoscale Engineering Science and Technology (NEST) and the Carbon Research Laboratory at the University of Dayton.
“What really excites me about the research with this material is that you can use it in all different areas,” Lafdi said.
His academic research allows graduate students several opportunities to publish work for their dissertations. He emphasized,“I want students to own the work, to have passion for what they do.”
Dr. Lafdi also sends students overseas for European collaboration.
“Students are exposed to different ways of thinking and different ways of working in the lab,” Lafdi said. “This is extremely rich. It gives top-level Master’s experience.”
Dr. Lafdi is especially proud of his current research using carbon material with nanomaterials to create a tube shunt that can prevent glaucoma. The research has passed in vitro, and Dr. Lafdi and his collaborators are excited to see how the material performs in vivo.
“I will work on carbon until I retire,” Lafdi said. “There is no way I can envision a life without the resources related to carbon material, and I know it is the next step in terms of civilization and development.”
As an Awardee for Oxford Excellence, Dr. Lafdi is granted a premier membership to the Oxford Awards Club, U.K. which meets annually for dinner.
“The greatness of Oxford is gathering this number of people from all over the world just for dinner, to discuss with and encourage each other.” Lafdi said, “It is a privilege to be a part of.”