Dr. Usha Varshney

Program Director

Division of Electrical and Communications Systems

Directorate for Engineering

National Science Foundation

4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 675,

Arlington, VA 22230

Telephone:     703-292-8339

Fax:       703-292-9147

Dr. Usha Varshney received her Ph.D. degree in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, in 1983. She joined the National Science Foundation in 1997, as Program Director of Electronics, Photonics, and Device Technologies and Integrative Systems programs in the Division of Electrical and Communications Systems. Dr. Varshney manages interdisciplinary science and engineering research programs at the National Science Foundation in enabling device technologies relating to processing, simulation and modeling, fabrication and characterization of smart materials, thin films and devices for next-generation microelectronics and nanoelectronics, molecular electronics, organic electronics, spin electronics, quantum devices, integrated solid state devices and circuits, packaging and interconnects, micromagnetics, wide band gap semiconductors, metrology, and integrative systems. Prior to joining the National Science Foundation, Dr. Varshney was Senior Research Scientist and Director of Research at American Research Corporation of Virginia, where she was involved in a broad range of science and technology programs of national interest. Research areas included fabrication and characterization of materials, thin films and devices for monolithic magnetics, nonvolatile random access memories, uncooled focal plane arrays, radiation resistant solar cells and photovoltaic devices, and wide band gap semiconductors. She has also held professional appointments at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where she worked on phosphors for advanced cathode ray display systems, at Chronar Corporation on amorphous silicon solar cells, and at Merrimac Magnetics on design of high frequency transformers.

Dr. Varshney has authored over 70 refereed papers, trade journal articles, conference papers, technical reports and books. She is an inventor on seven patents, and has been the recipient of several awards and recognitions in industry and at National Science Foundation. She is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, IEEE Electron Devices Society, IEEE Magnetics Society, Materials Research Society, and American Ceramic Society. While at NSF, Dr. Varshney has taken a special interest in programs to advance women in academic science and engineering careers and in mentoring undergraduate summer interns. She has also conducted World Technology Evaluations in Japan and Europe to determine U.S. competitiveness in research and development in cutting-edge technologies critical to U.S. standing in the global market. Dr. Varshney has shown a continuing interest in public policy by participating in forums and seminars on science and technology policy issues.