Post by RMIT-AcSIR Joint Research Program

🎓 Alumni Spotlight: Dr Diya Mukherjee (RMIT School of Engineering, Class of 2026) Dr Diya Mukherjee commenced her doctoral research in Mechanical, Manufacturing and Mechatronics Engineering at CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) through the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) PhD program and joined the RMIT PhD program in 2023 under the RMIT-AcSIR Joint Research Program. During her PhD, Dr Mukherjee has received several recognitions including the Foundrymen (IIF) High Temperature Aluminium Innovation Award, Indian Institute of Metals SJEF Grant, CSIR-CMERI Research Scholar’s Conclave Best Poster Award, Top Speaker at India International Science Festival IISF 2020, The Institution of Engineers India Best Presentation Award, and the prestigious DST INSPIRE Fellowship awarded by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. Dr Mukherjee has developed a novel lightweight aluminium alloy with outstanding high temperature performance. The alloy achieves a tensile strength of 237 MPa at 300°C and retains around 79 % of its room temperature strength after 100 hours at 300°C, while also demonstrating low creep rates. These results highlight strong thermal stability and make the alloy highly suitable for aerospace applications, including engine adjacent structural components, high temperature housings, and next generation energy efficient aircraft systems where conventional aluminium alloys are limited. Her research has led to peer reviewed journal publications, international conference presentations, and collaborative contributions in alloy development, advanced manufacturing, and high temperature materials engineering. Dr Mukherjee reflects that her PhD was a journey of understanding how small changes at the atomic level can solve big real world problems. She expresses her sincere gratitude to her supervisors, Prof Mark Easton, Dr Dong Qiu at RMIT and Dr Manidipto Mukherjee, PhD, AMIE, CEng(India), MIIW and, Dr. Nilrudra Mandal at CMERI for their continuous guidance, encouragement and support throughout her journey. She also appreciates the collaborative environment, advanced research infrastructure and the continuous administrative support provided by Tae Kim. Dr Mukherjee is also thankful to Distinguished Prof Suresh Bhargava and Prof Manoj Dhar for providing the opportunity for international research exposure and extends her appreciation to the entire admin team.    Dr Mukherjee shares that the RMIT-AcSIR Joint Research Program significantly supported her academic, professional, and personal growth. It strengthened her research skills, broadened her global perspective, and shaped her into a confident and independent researcher contributing to the future of aerospace materials and advanced manufacturing worldwide 🌏. CSIR India #AcSIRJointPhD #AcSIR