Rajeev Ram, PhD

Rajeev Ram, PhD, is a professor of electrical engineering at MIT. His research focuses on the development of novel photonics & electronics for communications, energy, and sensing. Moreover, Professor Ram is the principal investigator for the Physical Optics and Electronics (POE) Group within the Research Lab of Electronics.

Until June 2012, Professor Ram served as a program director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency within the Department of Energy. He joined ARPAe in its first year. His primary focus was in advanced electrical components and systems ranging from transportation to the generation and transmission of electric power. He created three programs at ARPAe: Agile Delivery of Electrical Power Technology (ADEPT), Solar ADEPT (part of the President’s Sunshot Initiative), and Green Electricity Network Integration (GENI). His portfolio of projects exceeded $100 million and included the demonstration of the highest voltage transistor ever-made and supported the breakthrough development of GaN-on-Si power electronics technology. He worked closely with start-ups (Transphorm, Varentec, Foro Energy, FastCap, APEI), supported cutting-edge research at companies including IR, Cree, GE, GM, Toyota, and consulted with the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the White House.

With his Hertz Fellowship, Ram received his PhD in electrical engineering at University of California, Santa Barbara, and a BSc in physics from the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Ram has received the Ruth and Joel Spira Award, and Jamieson Award for teaching. He is a MacVicar Faculty Fellow – MIT’s highest honor for teaching. Ram is a long-term member and current co-chair of both the Energy Education Task Force and the Energy Minor Oversight Committee.