PRAIRIE VIEW – When undergraduate Mustafa A. Ali stepped into Prairie View A&M University’s Microelectronics Characterization Laboratory last fall, he didn’t just join a research team; he became part of a pioneering effort to build the University’s first experimental semiconductor program.
Under the guidance of Dr. Avra S. Bandyopadhyay, the electrical engineering senior learned to work with two-dimensional materials and fabricated PVAMU’s first MoS₂/graphene van der Waals heterostructure, a layered structure made from atom-thin materials with promising applications for next-generation electronics.
This groundbreaking work earned Mustafa the 2026 Student Achievement in Microelectronics Award at the Georgia Tech HBCU CHIPS Conference and highlights PVAMU’s commitment to preparing the next generation of engineers and innovators in a nationally important field.
For Ali, though, the real work is still unfolding right in front of him in the lab.
“Working in Dr. Bandyopadhyay’s lab introduced me to the challenges and possibilities of microelectronics research, particularly with emerging materials,” Ali said. “Pushing this work forward will help overcome the scaling limits of traditional silicon.”
The award motivates him to continue advancing semiconductor research as he looks ahead with anticipation toward the future.
“My goal is to pursue graduate studies and contribute to the development of next-generation semiconductor technologies that enable more energy-efficient and scalable electronic systems,” Ali said. “I hope to help create technologies that are more efficient, scalable, and transformative.”
Ali joined Dr. Bandyopadhyay’s lab last fall as a RISE Undergraduate Research Fellow and became one of the first undergraduate researchers to participate in PVAMU’s developing microelectronics research program. He arrived at PVAMU following collaborative work at Texas A&M University, which helped prepare him to contribute to this new research environment.
Since then, he quickly built strong technical skills and played an active role in shaping early research efforts in the Microelectronics and Advanced Materials Laboratory.
“After beginning work with Dr. Bandyopadhyay, I quickly developed strong skills in semiconductor materials processing and characterization,” Ali said. “Within a few months, I helped establish early research workflows in the Microelectronics and Advanced Materials Laboratory and played a key role in introducing two-dimensional materials research at PVAMU.”
Perhaps most importantly, Ali’s impact extends beyond his own research. He is part of a larger story at PVAMU, one defined by collaboration, mentorship, and shared success.
In the lab, he works alongside fellow researchers while also helping guide undergraduates through both foundational techniques and advanced discoveries. He supports undergraduate training by assisting other students in learning silicon wafer handling, clean lab practices, 2D materials exfoliation, and nanoscale characterization techniques.
His efforts reflect a broader mission. While he helps build research capacity at PVAMU and strengthens the University’s presence in a rapidly growing and nationally important field, he remains rooted in the heart of PVAMU: cultivating the next generation of engineers.
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This article originally appeared on Northdallasgazette.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.co