Oklahoma EPSCoR Names New Director

The Oklahoma Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) has named Dr. Raman P. Singh as director of the program beginning Oct. 1, 2021. Singh replaces Dr. Jerry Malayer, who had served as director since 2010. Malayer recently retired.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Singh as our director of Oklahoma EPSCoR,” said Chancellor Glen D. Johnson, who also serves as chair of the EPSCoR Advisory Committee. “Dr. Singh’s education, academic background, and experience will be invaluable as Oklahoma seeks to advance research opportunities within our state. The ability to compete globally is greatly impacted by the state research environment, and we are fortunate to have someone of Dr. Singh’s caliber as our new director.”

Singh serves as the associate dean for engineering at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa and as a faculty member in the School of Materials Science and Engineering and the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology at OSU. He also serves as the director of the Helmerich Advanced Technology Research Center on the OSU-Tulsa campus and is appointed as the Helmerich Family Endowed Chair Professor of Engineering.

Singh’s research interests are in experimental mechanics, multifunctional materials and fracture mechanics. His academic interests are in recruiting, mentorship and retention of non-traditional and underrepresented student groups. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA, the U.S. Army Research Office, the Department of Energy, the Office of Naval Research, the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology, the Oklahoma Transportation Commission and industry. He is the author or co-author of several archival journal publications and conference proceedings and holds three patents. He serves as the vice president for the executive board for the Society of Experimental Mechanics (SEM) and as an associate technical editor for the journal Experimental Mechanics.

Singh holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics from the University of Rhode Island and a B.Tech. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, India.

“I am grateful to the Chancellor and the EPSCoR Advisory Committee for giving me this opportunity to serve,” said Singh. “I believe that science, by its very nature, is expansive rather than restrictive. Through this perspective, I hope to support growth in all areas of research relevant to the state of Oklahoma, and also support diversity and inclusion for traditionally underrepresented groups. My overarching goal is to help foster an innovation economy by leveraging science and technology for the benefit of all citizens of our state.”

EPSCoR, originally developed by the NSF, is designed to expand research opportunities in states that have traditionally received less funding in federal support for university research. Oklahoma EPSCoR is a partnership among colleges and universities, industry, and research institutions. Its mission is to make Oklahoma researchers more successful in competing for research funding. Specific goals, objectives and strategies are developed for each federal EPSCoR program, based on federal and state needs.

Pictured above: Dr. Raman P. Singh

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For Immediate Release, October 21, 2021
Media Contact: Angela Caddell
[email protected]