Skip to Main Content
Oxford and Beyond Research and Innovation Student Success

Graduate Student Spotlight: Surya Prakash Pandeya

Surya Prakash Pandeya is a Mechanical Engineering graduate student from Nepal who came to the United States in January 2021 to study at Miami University.

Oxford and Beyond Research and Innovation Student Success

Graduate Student Spotlight: Surya Prakash Pandeya

By Gabby Benedict, CEC Student Intern

Surya Prakash Pandeya is a graduate student from Nepal who came to the United States in January 2021 to study Mechanical Engineering at Miami University.

Pandeya got his undergraduate degree from the Institute of Engineering, Thapathali Campus in Kathmandu, Nepal. He has recently been working closely with Xinyi Xiao, an assistant professor in the Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering department, in researching the design of thermo-responsive self-morphing structures for 4-D printing technology for his thesis since coming to Miami. 

Pandeya and Xiao have developed a cutting-edge approach to 4-D printing technology that utilizes a thermo-responsive smart polymer to create self-morphing 3-D printed objects. This innovation enables the creation of dynamic flat 3-D printed objects that can be morphed into various free-form shapes. This method can be utilized to create shape-shifting electronic circuits, and medical equipment. This 4-D printing method can also be expanded for space applications, such as the creation of a self-morphing spacecraft that can automatically deploy its solar panels.

“Working with Dr. Xiao has been a very good experience because she always encouraged me to challenge myself, and when we ran into problems, we always found new ways to solve them together,” Pandeya said.

In addition to his research at Miami, Pandeya also had to face the challenge of acclimating himself to American culture but has since made many friends on campus who similarly arrived internationally from Europe, Asia, and Africa, to name a few.

Pandeya is currently working as an application engineer, where he helps design machines that mass produce medical products and new types of battery technologies. After school, he plans to gain more industry experience and work as a mechanical engineer.