Petru S Fodor
P_FODOR.jpg
 Title: Chair and Professor
 Dept: Physics
 Office: SI 115
 Phone: 216-523-7520
 Fax: 216-523-7268
 Email: P.FODOR@csuohio.edu
 Address: 2121 Euclid Ave. SI 115, Cleveland, OH 44115

Courses Taught

Publications


Faculty Only:
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Research Keywords:
Microfludics, microreactors, computational fluid dynamics, nanofabrication, electron microscopy, image processing, applied physics, physics and science education.
 
Education:
B.S., Physics, Babes - Bolyai University, Romania, 1996
M.S., Physics, Babes - Bolyai University, Romania, 1997
Ph.D., Physics, Wayne State University, Detroit, 2002
 
Brief Bio:
Dr. Fodor joined CSU in 2006. His research is focused on applied physics with projects ranging from the use of self-assembly methods for the fabrication of metal - semiconductor heterostructures and magnetic arrays, to the design and characterization of microfluidic components. His interest in applied physics extends to his classes, where he has developed courses in optoelectronics, applied solid state physics, and energy and environmental physics. He has also been involved with various high school teacher education and curriculum review programs.
 
Honors and Awards:
CSU Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award, 2017

College of Sciences and Health Professions, Jearl D. Walker Outstanding Teacher Award, 2011

Faculty Merit Award for Research and Teaching, Cleveland State University.
 
Creative and Activities:
List of Representative Publications

Past-Chair (2019), Chair (2018), Chair-Elect (2017), and Vice-Chair (2016) of the Ohio Region Section of the American Physical Society

Nominated for the US Professor of the Year Award, 2013 and 2014

Member of the Learning Community Initiative at CSU which focused on providing students with different perspectives on current topics.

Former member of the Task Force 9-16 and the High School Transformation projects, dedicated to fostering collaborations and providing support to Cleveland area high schools.

McNair Scholars faculty mentor.

Member of the Ohio Academy of Science STEM-TAC committee, responsible for the review of the state science and math standards for high school education.

Part of the first cohort of Chairs trained under the CSU's NSF ADVANCE/Adaptation grant.

Invited Talks:
April 5, 2019, Department of Chemistry Seminar Series, Cleveland State University - Mixing in microfluidic devices

March 22, 2019, Department of Physics, Marietta College - Fluid modeling in low Reynolds number systems

February 19, 2019, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Denver - Mixing in microfluidic devices

September 27, 2016, CSU Choose Ohio First and NSF S-STEM Seminar Series - Microfluidic Devices

January 29, 2015, John Carroll University, Physics Department Seminar - Modeling of low Reynolds number systems.

November 6, 2014, Cleveland State University, College of Sciences and Health Professions 10th Anniversary Seminar Series - Mixing in microfluidic devices.

November 30, 2012, Cleveland State University, speaker for the College of Sciences and Health Professions Teaching Award Ceremony.

October 28, 2009, Cleveland State University, talk for the freshman class 2010, on the history of atomic and nuclear models development.

March 6, 2008, Youngstown State University, seminar on using student response systems in science classes.

October 8, 2007, Electrical Engineering Department, Cleveland State University, seminar on nanofabrication methods and quantum confined systems.

October 12, 2007, Department of Chemistry, Cleveland State University - Magnetic properties of nanostructured materials.

February 16, 2007, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Youngstown State University - Self - assembly routes for nanofabrication.
 
Teaching Areas:
Calculus and Algebra Based Introductory Physics.

Introductory Physics Laboratories.

Condensed Matter Physics.

Photonics and Optoelectronics.

Electronics and Instrumentation.

Environmental Physics.

Computational Physics.

Image Processing.

Conceptual Physics: Energy in our Society.

For a list of classes taught or supervised recently, please click here.
 
Professional Affiliations:
American Physical Society, 1998 - Present.

American Association of Physics Teachers, 2007 - Present.

Advanced Laboratory Physics Association, 2007 - Present.

UTeach Research Consortium, 2011 - Present.

Microscopy Society of Northeastern Ohio, 2012 - Present.
 
Professional Experience:
Chair, Physics Department, Cleveland State University, Cleveland: 2017 - Present.

Professor of Physics, Cleveland State University, Cleveland: 2019 - Present

Associate Professor of Physics, Cleveland State University, Cleveland: 2012 - 2019.

Assistant Professor of Physics, Cleveland State University, Cleveland: 2006 - 2012.

Research Associate, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh: 2002 - 2006.

Lecturer, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh: Summer 2005.

Research Assistant, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan: 1998 - 2002.
 
University Service:
University Computational Committee 2007 - 2009.

University Graduate Faculty Review Committee 2009 - 2011.

University Library Committee 2011 - 2015 (Committee Chair during 2012 - 2013).

Faculty Senate 2013 - 2019.

Arts & Sciences Associate Dean Search Committee 2023.

Arts and Sciences Dean Search Committee 2022.

Arts and Sciences Associate Dean - Curriculum and Facilities Search Committee 2022.

CSU McNair Director Search Committee (Chair) 2019.

COSHP Curriculum Committee 2007 - 2009.

COSHP Scholarship Committee 2008 - Present.

COSHP Faculty Affairs Committee 2012 - 2017.

COSHP Academic Standards Committee 2009 - 2011.

COSHP Steering Committee 2018 - 2020.

Physics Department Faculty Search Committee 2009, 2012 (Co-chair), 2013, 2016, 2017.

Chair Physics Department Staff Search Committee 2015.

Physics Department Seminar Organizer 2009 - 2014.

Physics Department Undergraduate Committee 2015 - 2017.

CSUTeach Steering Committee 2009 - Present.

Mathematics Program Review Committee 2006 - 2007.

Speech and Hearing Department Faculty Search Committee 2015.
 
Professional Service:
Reviewed manuscripts for the following journals: Nanotechnology, Semiconductor Science and Technology, Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of Applied Physics, New Journal of Physics, Journal  of Physics D, Review of Scientific Instruments, Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Physica Scrypta, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Journal of Porous Media, Micromachines, Fractal and Fractions, Nature Scientific Reports, Processes and Water.

Reviewer for the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) (2007).

Reviewer for Choose Ohio First Scholarships program (2011).

Reviewer for IEEE Energy Tech  (2012).
 
Research Grants:
(secured more than $600,000 in funding as a PI)

Representative funded/pending projects:

CSU Undergraduate Summer Research Award Program - Summer 2023 - Proposal Title: Developing of Micromixing Strategies Using Extensional Flows - amount awarded $4,980 (PIs: P.S. Fodor and C. Kothapalli).

CSU Undergraduate Summer Research Award Program - Summer 2022 - Proposal Title: Developing of Micromixing Strategies Using Extensional Mixing Elements - amount awarded $4,730 (PIs: P.S. Fodor and C. Kothapalli).

CSU FLAG ADVANCE - Period 2021 - 2022 - Proposal Title: An engaged approach to improving the work-life balance at CSU - amount awarded $9,000 (PIs: C.T. McLennan, P.S. Fodor, and M. Hizlan).

Ohio Space Consortium Grant Student Support - Summer 2020 - Proposal Title: Fluid modeling in microfluidic devices - amount awarded $7,300 (PIs: T. Rhoades, P.S. Fodor, C. Kothapalli).

CSU Undergraduate Summer Research Award Program - Summer 2020 - Proposal Title: Imaging of soft-matter particle systems using electron microscopy - amount awarded $5,540 (PIs: P.S. Fodor and K. Streletzky).

CSU Undergraduate Summer Research Award Program - Summer 2019 - Proposal Title: Design and implementation of microreactors - amount awarded $4,500 (PIs: C. Kothapalli, and P.S. Fodor)

CSU Undergraduate Summer Research Award Program - Summer 2018 - Proposal Title: Wet SEM imaging of polymeric microgels in liquids - amount awarded $5,490 (PIs: P.S. Fodor and K. Streletzky).

CSU Undergraduate Summer Research Award Program - Summer 2018 - Proposal Title: Interdisciplinary research on the optimization, fabrication and implementation of micromixers - amount awarded $5,000 (PIs: C. Kothapalli, T. Borkar, and P.S. Fodor).

NSF Major Instrumentation Grant, 2011 - Present, Proposal Title: Acquisition of a field emission scanning electron microscope for multidisciplinary nanotechnology research, Amount awarded $472,113 (PI: P.S. Fodor).

CSU Undergraduate Summer Research Award Program - Summer 2017 - Proposal Title: Development of micromixer-based chemical reactors - amount awarded $7,930 (PIs: P.S. Fodor and C. Kothapalli).

CSU Undergraduate Summer Research Award Program - Summer 2017 - Proposal Title: Electron microscopy and light scattering characterization of microgels under dynamic temperature conditions - amount awarded $7,980 (PIs: K. Streletzky and P.S. Fodor).

Engage Learning, CSU Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement, Summer 2011, Proposal Title: Improving fuel usage in microchannel based fuel cells, Amount awarded $5,665 (PI: P.S. Fodor).

Research Corporation, Cottrell College Science Awards, 2007 - 2009, Proposal Title: Development and characterization of semiconductor - metal nanostructures fabricated through directed self assembly, Amount awarded $43,582 (PI: P.S. Fodor).

Ohio STEM Learning Network, 2009 - 2010, Proposal Title: STEM graduate fellow - amount awarded $14,222. (Co-PI)