Embedded Files
Innovation is a collective effort. The accomplishments highlighted are the result of the expertise, collaboration, and commitment of my team. Each individual has played an essential role in advancing scientific discovery and translating ideas into meaningful outcomes.
Innovation is a collective effort. The accomplishments highlighted are the result of the expertise, collaboration, and commitment of my team. Each individual has played an essential role in advancing scientific discovery and translating ideas into meaningful outcomes.
Samir Iqbal
Professor
Associate Dean of Research and Industry Partnerships
College of Computing
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, Michigan, USA
Education:
Ph.D., Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA (2007)
B.E., N.E.D. University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan (1996)
Experience and Impact
Experience and Impact
Across various roles, my mission has remained consistent: to build partnerships, develop innovation ecosystems, and translate scientific discovery into solutions that improve lives, strengthen the economy, and advance society.
I am an innovation leader, engineer, scientist, and researcher with experience spanning academia, federal government, entrepreneurship, and strategic partnerships. My work focuses on translating research into real-world impact by connecting discovery, technology commercialization, workforce development, and innovation ecosystems.
At Grand Valley State University (GVSU), I lead the college's research strategy, foster interdisciplinary collaborations, expand external partnerships, and support faculty and student research initiatives.
From 2021 to 2025, I served as a Program Director in the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) at the National Science Foundation (NSF). During my tenure, I managed a research and innovation portfolio exceeding $170 million, supporting programs that accelerated research translation, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and emerging technologies. Working with researchers, startups, industry, and government partners across the nation, I helped transform scientific discoveries into technologies, products, companies, and societal impact.
Leadership
Leadership
TIP Lead and Member of NSF EPSCoR Science and Engineering Committee (ESEG), Alexandria, Virginia, USA.
Chair, Innovation Tank Competition at 2022, 2023 and 2024 National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) Annual Conferences across USA.
Chair, Bioengineering Subgroup, The Biophysical Society, USA.
Program Director, Sustainable Energy and Water Resource Management Program, UTRGV, Edinburg, Texas, USA.
General Chair, 3rd US International Conference on Surfaces, Coatings and Nanostructured Materials (NANOSMAT-USA 2016), Arlington, Texas, USA.
Member Concept and Design Team, 200,000 sq ft Science and Engineering Innovation and Research Building at UT-Arlington, Texas, USA.
General Co-Chair, Third Conference on Nanotechnology for Biological and Biomedical Applications (Nano-Bio-Med 2015), the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), Mumbai, India.
Chair, Publicity Committee, IEEE-EMBS Technical Committee on BioMEMS, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), USA.
General Co-Chair and Member Organizing Committee, 2nd US International Conference on Surfaces, Coatings and Nanostructured Materials (NANOSMAT-USA 2014), Houston, Texas, USA.
Secretary, Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Honor Society, UT-Arlington Chapter, USA.
General Co-Chair, Second Conference on Nanotechnology for Biological and Biomedical Applications (Nano-Bio-Med 2013), The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy.
Director, US Department of Education, Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Doctoral Fellowships Program, UT-Arlington, TX, USA.
Co-Chair, “Nanoengineering and Nanomputing Applications for Pervasive Health Environments of the Future Workshop” at the 2nd International Conference on Pervasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments, Corfu, Greece.
Co-Founder and General Co-Chair of Conference on Nanotechnology for Biological and Biomedical Applications (Nano-Bio-Med), the Abdus Salam ICTP, Trieste, Italy.
Honors / Distinctions
Honors / Distinctions
2023 - Excellence Award, TIP Directorate, NSF.
2018, 2019 - Distinguished Lecturer, IEEE Nanotechnology Council.
2016 – 2018 - Distinguished Lecturer, IEEE — Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (IEEE-EMBS).
2017 - Education Award, Tarrant County Asian American Chamber of Commerce, Arlington, Texas.
2017 – 2018 - Presidential Research Fellow, “Health and the Human Condition” Initiative, UT-Arlington, $20,000 Prize.
2017 - Fellow, The NANOSMAT Society, UK.
2017 - Excellence in Doctoral Student Mentoring Award, UT-Arlington, Finalist.
2016 - Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK.
2016 - Excellence in Research Award, UT-Arlington College of Engineering. $5,000 Prize.
2015 - Best Research Advisor Award, Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Honor Society, UT-Arlington.
2015 - Doctoral Student Mentoring Award, UT-Arlington, Finalist.
2014 - Outstanding ACES Mentor Award, Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Honor Society, UT-Arlington.
2014 - President's Award for Excellence in Teaching, Electrical Engineering Nominee, UT-Arlington.
2013 - Eminent Engineer, Tau Beta Pi, National Engineering Honor Society.
2013 - Best Academic Advisor 2012-13, Honorable Mention, UT-Arlington.
2013 - President's Award for Excellence in Teaching, College of Engineering Nominee, UT-Arlington.
2011 - Recognized Professor, Phi Kappa Phi, Arlington, Texas.
2009 - Best Poster Award at “From DNA-Inspired Physics to Physics-Inspired Biology" Conference, The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy.
2009 - CAREER Award, National Science Foundation: "Nanoelectronic Microfluidic Biochip for Ultrasensitive Detection of Selective Protein Biomarkers," $468,000.
2003-2004 - Magoon Award for Excellence in Teaching (Cash Prize). College of Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
Student Awards
Student Awards
2019 - A. H Fernandez, M. I. Flores, D. Duron and C. Garcia, Distinguished Scholar Award, Applied Science Oral Presentation, Engaged Scholar Symposium (ES2), UTRGV.
2018 - Mason Garza: Best Poster Award, 4th US International Conference on Surfaces, Coatings and Nanostructured Materials (4th NANOSMAT-USA 2018), South Padre Island, TX, USA.
2016 - Waqas Ali: The Graduate School Dissertation Fellowship, UT-Arlington.
2016 - M. Usman Raza: Outstanding Electrical Engineering GTA Award, UT-Arlington.
2016 - Adeel Sajid, Samir Nathu, and Mohammad R. Hasan: Second Prize in Third Annual E-Week Student Challenge, $300 Cash Prize, UT-Arlington.
2015 - Ms. Nuzhat Mansur: Honorable Mention, Graduate Session Oral Presentations, ACES Symposium.
2015 - Muhymin Islam: Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Scholarship.
2015 - Mohammad Raziul Hasan: Kelcy Warren Engineering Scholarship.
2015 - Maryam Alam and Frank Villareal: The Grand Prize in “Elevator Pitch” Competition.
2015 - Md. Motasim Bellah: The Graduate School Dissertation Fellowship, UT-Arlington.
2014 - Waqas Ali: Outstanding Electrical Engineering GTA Award, UT-Arlington.
2014 - M. Raziul Hasan: Outstanding Mentor Award, UT-Arlington.
2014 - M. Arif Iftakher Mahmood: The Graduate School Dissertation Fellowship, UT-Arlington.
2013 - Azhar Ilyas: The Graduate School Dissertation Fellowship, UT-Arlington.
2013 - Azhar Ilyas: The inaugural N. M. Stelmakh Outstanding Student Research Award, UT-Arlington.
2013 - Chaudhry M. Amir Arafat: The Excellent Paper Award, 2013 ASEE Gulf Southwest Annual Regional Conference: Engineering Education Without Borders, Arlington, TX.
2013 - M. A. I. Mahmood: Best Paper Award, 2013 Sigma Xi Southwest Regional Research Conference, Dallas, TX.
2012 - M. A. I. Mahmood: Vice Provost's Award for Excellence in Abstract Writing, Honorable Mention at the Annual Celebration of Excellence by Students (ACES) symposium, , UT-Arlington.
2012 - Waseem Asghar: Best NanoFab Graduate Student Award 2012, UT-Arlington.
2012 - M. A. I. Mahmood: NSF Travel Award to attend PETRA 2012 Conference, Crete, Greece.
2012 - Raza Khan: Undergraduate Research Opportunity Award (UROP), UT-Arlington.
2012 - C. M. Amir Arafat: Electrical Engineering Avicenna Scholarship, UT-Arlington.
2011-12 - C. M. Amir Arafat: Undergraduate Scholars Program Fellowship, UT-Arlington.
2011-12 - Umair J. M. Khan, M. A. I. Mahmood, Azhar Ilyas and C. M. Amir Arafat: I Engage Mentoring Program Fellowships, UT-Arlington.
2011 - Azhar Ilyas: Charles Desoer LiSSA Award, 5th IEEE-NIH LIfe Science Systems and Applications Workshop 2011 (LiSSA 2011), Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
2010 - Yuan Wan: Graduate School Dean Fellowship 2010, UT-Arlington.
2009 - P. P. Ramachandaran: Best Paper Award, IEEE-NIH LIfe Science Systems and Applications Workshop 2009 (LiSSA'09), Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse