The University of Delaware, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

ECE Graduate Student Receives Dissertation Fellow Award

The Office of Graduate and Professional Education awarded James Mutitu, a Ph.D. graduate student under the direction of Professor Dennis Prather, the University Dissertation Fellow Award for the 2011 -2012 academic year. This award was established by the Office of the Provost to enable and support Ph.D. students to devote full attention to the completion of their doctoral dissertations. The fellowship is given in recognition of prior academic achievements and potential for success in the candidates field of study.

Mr. Mutitu's research is concerned with increasing the light trapping capacity of thin film photovoltaic devices by applying photonic engineering concepts and methodology. The ultimate goal is to increase the overall efficiency of solar cells which are much thinner than the currently manufactured wafer based devices, to a point where the performance of the thicker and thinner cells is comparable. James has also been recognized as a Senior Teaching Assistant Fellow as a result of his efforts in educating incoming teaching assistants on effective pedagogical techniques for the engineering sciences.