This summer, a partnership between North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (A&T) State University and the University of California San Diego (UCSD) brought together students and researchers for a hands-on exchange that blended science, mentorship, and collaboration through the NSF PREM CREAM program and UCSD’s RIMSE initiative.

As the organizer of the 2025 PREM Principal Investigators Meeting and PI for the NC A&T – UCSD PREM, Dhananjay Kumar led a full day of expert panels, research presentations, and networking in Alexandria, VA. He emphasized how SEED grants can transition into full PREMs, encouraged building strong inter-PREM mentoring and STEM outreach strategies, and facilitated direct engagement with NSF program directors.

Dhananjay Kumar, Director of CEDARS and PI of the CREAM center, was among the team members honored with the 2025 Interdisciplinary Team of the Year Award at North Carolina A&T

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will open the Center for Electrochemical Dynamics and Reactions on Surfaces (CEDARS) funded by a four-year $10.35 million grant from the Department of Energy (DOE). The center will be led by Dhananjay Kumar, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering (COE).

After nearly two decades at N.C. A&T, Dhananjay has made important developments in the field of mechanical engineering. The native of India has also become a kind of cultural ambassador of sorts, bonding with his students by sharing his culture.