Engineering II Building
UC Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Sumita's research in the Nanoscale Device Laboratory is focused on novel studies of chemical and biological species using fabricated nanoscale devices with special attention to energy conversion. The scope of the research program is broad, spanning the fields of Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering. The research goals are also broad, focusing on the fundamental science of nanoscale systems, while also exploring exciting technological possibilities.
Pennathur began teaching at UCSB in the Mechanical Engineering department in July 2007. Her research group focuses on using fundamental fluidics knowledge at both micro- and nano -scales to create novel devices for practical applications. Major efforts include creating and developing enabling tools to identify and characterize biological substances, improving current bionalaytical devices, and designing/engineering entire systems for point-of-care usage. Prior to coming to UCSB, Pennathur taught at University of Twente. She has held multiple positions at various companies and schools such as: Sandia National Laboratories, Stanford University, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Tigris Corporation, and Lockheed Martin.