Outstanding Faculty Mentor of Doctoral Students

The Outstanding Faculty Mentor of Doctoral Students Award is presented each Spring at the May Doctoral Hooding and Commencement Ceremony. This award honors one-on-one mentoring of doctoral students through the direction of a dissertation and supervision of students’ research. All members of the graduate faculty who mentor doctoral students to the completion of the degree are eligible to be nominated by their chair, colleagues, or graduate students. Professor Gamini Sumanasekera from the Department of Physics is this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Mentor of Doctoral Students Award.

Dr. Sumanasekera received his Ph.D. from Indiana University Bloomington. He subsequently held a postdoctoral appointment at the University of Kentucky and later served as a Senior Research Associate at Pennsylvania State University. He joined the University of Louisville in 2002 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy and was promoted to Full Professor in 2012. In recognition of his scholarly achievements, he was appointed a University Scholar in 2010.

Dr. Sumanasekera has been affiliated with the Conn Center for Renewable Energy since its inception, where he served as the Energy Storage Theme Leader. Prior to this role, he served as Associate Director of the Institute for Advanced Materials. He has played an important role in fostering interdisciplinary research at the University of Louisville.

Since 2019, Dr. Sumanasekera has served as the Director of Graduate Studies for Physics and Astronomy. Over the course of his career, he has supervised twenty Ph.D. students and several MS students.

Dr. Sumanasekera has authored or co-authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications, including articles in Science and Nature. His work has achieved an h-index of 51 and has received more than 10,860 citations. He is also an inventor or co-inventor on more than 10 patents.

His chair endorsed the nomination of Dr. Suansekera by three doctoral graduates whom he mentored by noting, “Over a distinguished career spanning 24 years at the University of Louisville, Dr. Sumanasekera has mentored 20 PhD students to successful completion of their doctoral degrees. This includes three students who earned their PhD through the Electrical and Engineering department during a period when our department did not yet offer a PhD program. His sustained and impactful record of doctoral mentorship is exceptional by any standard.” 

One of his former students noted that Dr. Sumanasekera took him on “When I was at one of the lowest points of my Ph.D. journey and was seriously considering leaving the program. My confidence was shaken, and my direction uncertain. At that critical moment, Dr. Sumanasekera saw potential in me. He did not simply accept me into his lab — he invested in me. Through steady guidance, high expectations, and genuine care, he helped me rebuild both my confidence and resilience as a researcher. Because of what I learned from him, I was also able to support and mentor colleagues within the lab, contributing to the collaborative environment he fostered.” Another recent doctoral graduate said, “Even after I left the lab, his mentorship continued. He has assisted me in finalizing two of my first-author journal articles and trained me in preparing interview talks for staff scientist positions. His mentorship did not end at graduation—his professional advocacy and support continue well beyond it.”  Another echoes the value of Dr. Suansekera’s mentorship for career support: “His mentorship extends beyond academic training — it prepares students for a diverse range of career pathways.”