Dr. Vamsi Borra

Dr. Vamsi Borra

Assistant Professor

Rayen School of Engineering

Moser Hall 2030

phone: (330) 941-3014

vsborra@ysu.edu

vsborra.people.ysu.edu/

Bio

Before moving to YSU, I worked as an assistant professor and program coordinator (Computer Engineering Technology) in the Department of Computer Science, Information Systems, and Engineering Technology at California University of Pennsylvania (CALU). Also, prior to CALU, I was a visiting assistant professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) department at the University of Toledo. I also worked as an electrical engineer for Valley Electrical Consolidated Inc. (Girard, OH) before starting my Ph.D. studies.

I served as a chair of the Toledo section’s IEEE Young professionals group. My research interests include characterization and fabrication of electronics materials, controlled whisker growth, thin-film fabrication and characterization, and condensed matter physics-related research. I was recently awarded a patent to mitigate whisker growth Nickel Oxide sublayer.

I was recently named a Senior Member of IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).

Research Interests

3D electronics, Embedded systems, Flexible electronics, Electronic materials, Reliability testing, Controlled whisker growth, CdTe Photovoltaics, Thin-film fabrication and characterization, and Condensed matter physics-related research

• Education

  • 2017

    Ph D, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

    The University of Toledo

    Dissertation/Thesis Title — "Metal Whiskers: The Role of Electric Fields in the Formation Mechanism and Methods for Whisker Growth Mitigation"

  • 2014

    MS, Electrical & Computer Engineering

    Youngstown State University

    Dissertation/Thesis Title — "Design and Modeling of High-Performance LED Dimming Driver with Reduced Current Spikes using Turn-On Snubber across Power MOSFET"

  • 2011

    BS, Electronics and Communication Engineering

    Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University

• Awards and Honors

  • 2025

    Youngstown State University

    YSU Research Professorship

    Each year not less than eighteen (18) faculty members whose unsubsidized research is deemed meritorious of support shall be designated “Research Professors".

  • 2025

    Phi Kappa Phi

    Elected faculty member into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

    Elected to The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi for outstanding accomplishments and contributions made to faculty profession, Jan 2025.

  • 2024

    Youngstown State University

    Distinguished Professorship (scholarship)

    The Distinguished Professor Award recognizes outstanding scholarly exceptional dedication, commitment, and service to Youngstown State University.

  • 2023

    Youngstown State University

    YSU Research Professorship

    Each year not less than eighteen (18) faculty members whose unsubsidized research is deemed meritorious of support shall be designated “Research Professors".

  • 2022

    Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

    IEEE Senior membership

    Dr. Vamsi Borra was recently named a Senior Member of IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). Fewer than 10% of the more than 400,000 IEEE members hold this prestigious grade of membership, which recognizes significant professional technical accomplishments, significant contributions to the profession and IEEE.
    
    As a Senior Member, Dr. Borra has the ability to hold executive IEEE positions and serve as a reference for other applicants for senior membership. To be eligible one must have shown significant performance in at least ten years in professional practice.
    
    IEEE is the world's largest technical professional society and serves professionals involved in all aspects of the electrical, electronic, and computing fields and related areas of science and technology. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is the world's largest association of technical professionals with more than 400,000 members in over 160 countries.
    

  • 2022

    Youngstown State University

    YSU Research Professorship

    Each year not less than eighteen (18) faculty members whose unsubsidized research is deemed meritorious of support shall be designated “Research Professors".

  • 2018

    The University of Toledo

    PhD Dissertation of the Year Award

    Recipient of EECS PhD Dissertation of the Year Award (2017 - 2018) award from the University of Toledo Electrical Engineering department, April 2018.

  • 2017

    The University of Toledo

    Best Graduate Student of the Year

    Recipient, IEEE-EECS Best Graduate Student of the Year (2016 – 2017) award from the University of Toledo Electrical Engineering and department, April 2017.Award based on the service to IEEE student section, academic achievement and campus participation.

  • 2016

    Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

    Young Engineer of the Year

    Received Young Engineer of the Year award from IEEE Toledo section for outstanding service to the section, Nov 2016.

  • 2016

    The University of Toledo

    Teaching assistant of the Year

    Recipient, Teaching assistant of the Year (2015 – 2016) award from the University of Toledo Electrical Engineering department for the distinguished support to the department, April 2016.

• Professional Positions

  • 2018 - 2021

    California University of Pennsylvania

    Assistant Professor

  • 2018 - 2018

    The University of Toledo

    Visiting Assistant Professor

  • 2015 - 2017

    The University of Toledo

    Instructor

  • 2014 - 2015

    The University of Toledo

    Graduate Teaching Assistant

  • 2013 - 2014

    Valley Electrical Consolidated Inc.

    Electrical Engineer

• Intellectual Contributions

  • 2024

    "Building a fully digital controller with Altera Cyclone FPGA and Nios processor for induction heating application"

    J. Villamizar, V. Borra, F. Li

    Discover Electronics, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, volume 1, issue 1

  • 2024

    "Inhibition of whisker growth by crafting more decomposition-resistant Ti2SnC MAX phase through vanadium solid solution"

    H. Tang, X. Yin, P. Zhang, V. Karpov, V. Borra, Z. Tian, W. Zheng, J. Ding, Z. Sun

    Ceramics International, Elsevier

  • 2024

    "Frequency selective asymmetric coupled-fed (ACS) antenna using additive manufacturing"

    S. Lamsal, A. Uya, S. Itapu, F. Li, P. Cortes, V. Borra

    Memories-Materials, Devices, Circuits and Systems, Elsevier, volume 8, p. 100111

  • 2024

    "Copper tantalum nitride (CuTaN 2) thin films prepared by reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering"

    M. Islam, A. Ranga, V. Borra, D. Georgiev

    Applied Physics A, Springer Berlin Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg, volume 130, issue 6, p. 376

  • 2024

    "A Novel Dual-Channel SPR-based PCF Biosensor for Simultaneous Tuberculosis and Urinary Tract Infection Diagnosis towards SDG3"

    J. Divya, S. Selvendran, S. Itapu, V. Borra

    IEEE Access, IEEE

  • 2024

    "A High-Temperature Thermocouple Development by Additive Manufacturing: Tungsten-Nickel (W-Ni) and Molybdenum (Mo) Integration with Ceramic Structures"

    A. Islam, V. Borra, P. Cortes

    arXiv preprint arXiv:2408.04800

  • 2023

    "Microstructuring of cobalt (Co) thin films by UV laser irradiation"

    S. Itapu, V. Borra, S. Selvendran

    Applied Physics A, Springer, volume 129, issue 12, p. 864

  • 2023

    "A Comparison of GaN Transistors to MOSFETs for Active Magnetic Levitation"

    A. Pesch, N. Aboki, J. Villamizar-Vasquez, F. Li, V. Borra

    18th International Symposium on Magnetic Bearings

  • 2023

    "Percolation Nature of Threshold Switching: an Experimental Verification"

    S. Devkota, B. Kuzior, V. Karpov, D. Georgiev, F. Li, V. Borra

    , p. 1--5

  • 2023

    "Low-Cost DC Motor Control System Experiments for Engineering Students"

    B. Bhatta, G. Salim, V. Borra, F. Li

  • 2023

    "Impedance Measurements Using a High Precision, Low Power Analog Front End"

    B. Kuzior, V. Borra, F. Li, B. Park, P. Cortes

  • 2023

    "Harmonic content analysis of a soft starting variable frequency motor drive based on FPGA"

    Y. Sapkota, S. Devkota, V. Borra, P. Cortes, S. Itapu, F. Li

    , p. 1--5

  • 2023

    "Design and Fabrication of Terahertz (THz) Antenna Using Aerosol Jet Printing"

    A. Uya, S. Lamsal, S. Itapu, F. Li, P. Cortes, G. Trovato, L. Dong, V. Borra

    , p. 157--161

  • 2023

    "Building Trust in Microelectronics: A Comprehensive Review of Current Techniques and Adoption Challenges"

    K. Nyako, S. Devkota, F. Li, V. Borra

    Electronics, MDPI, volume 12, issue 22, p. 4618

  • 2023

    "A Novel Plasmonic Sensor Based on Dual-Channel D-Shaped Photonic Crystal Fiber for Enhanced Sensitivity in Simultaneous Detection of Different Analytes"

    J. Divya, S. Selvendran, . Raja, A Sivanantha, V. Borra

    IEEE Transactions on NanoBioscience

  • 2023

    "A combined fuzzy backtracking search optimization algorithm to localize retinal blood vessels for diabetic retinopathy"

    A. Neelapala, G. Satapathi, V. Borra, R. Mahapatra, P. Shanbhag

    Biomedical Physics \& Engineering Express, volume 9, issue 5, p. 055025

  • 2022

    "Transient Thermal and Electrical Characteristics of a Cylindrical LiFeS2 Cell with Equivalent Circuit Model"

    K. Alsharif, A. Pesch, V. Borra, P. Cortes, E. MacDonald, F. Li, K. Choo

    9th International Conference on Fluid Flow, Heat and Mass Transfer

  • 2022

    "Transient Thermal and Electrical Characteristics of a Cylindrical LiFeS2 Cell with Equivalent Circuit Model"

    K. Alsharif, A. Pesch, V. Borra, P. Cortes, E. MacDonald, F. Li, K. Choo

    , volume 14, p. 155

  • 2022

    "Tin Whisker Growth Suppression Using NiO Sublayers Fabricated by Dip Coating"

    J. Buchanan, V. Borra, M. Islam, D. Georgiev, S. Itapu

    Condensed Matter, volume 7, issue 1, p. 7

  • 2022

    "Tin Whisker Growth Suppression Using NiO Sublayers Fabricated by Dip Coating"

    S. Itapu, D. Georgiev, J. Buchanan, V. Borra, M. Islam

    MDPI

  • 2022

    "Threshold Switching in CdTe Photovoltaics"

    S. Devkota, K. Nyako, B. Kuzior, V. Karpov, D. Georgiev, F. Li, P. Cortes, V. Borra

    ECS Transactions, volume 109, issue 1, p. 3

  • 2022

    "Modification of Tin (Sn) metal surfaces by surface plasmon polariton excitation"

    V. Borra, S. Itapu, V. Karpov, D. Georgiev

    Scripta Materialia, volume 208, p. 114357

  • 2022

    "Effect of laser irradiation on the tribological properties of RF-sputtered nickel oxide (NiO) thin films"

    S. Itapu, V. Borra, F. Li, P. Cortes, M. Kumar

    Vacuum, volume 205, p. 111461

  • 2022

    "A novel modal representation of battery dynamics"

    K. Alsharif, A. Pesch, V. Borra, F. Li, P. Cortes, E. Macdonald, K. Choo

    IEEE Access, volume 10, p. 16793--16806

  • 2022

    "A Novel Modal Representation of Battery Dynamics"

    K. Alsharif, A. Pesch, V. Borra, F. Li, P. Cortes, E. MacDonald, K. Choo

    IEEE Access, volume 10

  • 2022

    "A Coupled Thermo-Mechanical Dynamic Characterization of Cylindrical Batteries"

    K. Alsharif, A. Pesch, V. Borra, F. Li, P. Cortes, E. Macdonald, K. Choo

    IEEE Access, volume 10, p. 51708--51722

  • 2022

    "A Coupled Thermo-Mechanical Dynamic Characterization of Cylinbdrical Batteries"

    K. Alsharif, A. Pesch, V. Borra, F. Li, P. Cortes, E. MacDonald, K. Choo

    IEEE Access, volume 10

  • 2022

    "3D Printed Dual-Band Microwave Imaging Antenna"

    V. Borra, S. Itapu, J. Garretto, R. Yarwood, G. Morrison, P. Cortes, E. MacDonald, F. Li

    ECS Transactions, volume 107, issue 1, p. 8631

  • 2021

    "Sn whisker growth mitigation using NiO sublayers"

    V. Borra, D. Georgiev, S. Itapu

  • 2021

    "Tuning the tribological properties of Ni/NiO thin films by Nd: YAG pulsed laser irradiation"

    S. Itapu, B. PILLA, V. Borra, F. Li

    SPAST Abstracts, volume 1, issue 01

  • 2021

    "A 3-D printed UWB microwave imaging antenna"

    V. Borra, S. Itapu, R. Yarwood, J. Garretto, P. Cortes, E. MacDonald, F. Li

    SPAST Abstracts, volume 1, issue 01

  • 2020

    "Laser-Based Fabrication of Microstructures on Nickel Thin Films and Its Applications in On-Chip Thin Film Inductors"

    S. Itapu, V. Borra, D. Georgiev

    IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology, volume 19, p. 455--460

  • 2019

    "The statistics of tin whisker diameters versus the underlying film grains"

    O. Oudat, V. Borra, D. Georgiev, V. Karpov

    Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, volume 52, issue 16, p. 165305

  • 2018

    "Microscopic structure of metal whiskers"

    V. Borra, D. Georgiev, V. Karpov, D. Shvydka

    Physical Review Applied, volume 9, issue 5, p. 054029

  • 2018

    "Metal whisker growth induced by localized, high-intensity DC electric fields"

    V. Borra, O. Oudat, D. Georgiev, V. Karpov, D. Shvydka

    MRS Advances, volume 3, issue 57-58, p. 3367--3372

  • 2018

    "A computational study on the variation of bandgap due to native defects in non-stoichiometric NiO and Pd, Pt doping in stoichiometric NiO"

    S. Itapu, V. Borra, F. Mossayebi

    Condensed Matter, volume 3, issue 4, p. 46

  • 2017

    "Whiskers: The Role of Electric Fields in the Formation Mechanism and Methods for Whisker Growth Mitigation"

    V. Borra

    University of Toledo

  • 2017

    "Whisker growth on Sn thin film accelerated under gamma-ray induced electric field"

    D. Shvydka, M. Killefer, V. Borra, D. Georgiev, V. Karpov, E. Parsai

  • 2017

    "Whisker growth on Sn thin film accelerated under gamma-ray induced electric field"

    M. Killefer, V. Borra, A. Al-Bayati, D. Georgiev, V. Karpov, E. Parsai, D. Shvydka

    Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, volume 50, issue 40, p. 405302

  • 2017

    "Sn whisker growth mitigation by using NiO sublayers"

    V. Borra, S. Itapu, D. Georgiev

    Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, volume 50, issue 47, p. 475309

  • 2017

    "Gamma-Ray Induced Growth of Metal Whiskers"

    M. Killefer, V. Borra, A. Al-Bayati, D. Georgiev, E. Parsai, V. Karpov, D. Shvydka

    , volume 44, p. 2830

  • 2016

    "Fabrication of optically smooth Sn thin films"

    V. Borra, D. Georgiev, C. Grice

    Thin Solid Films, volume 616, p. 311--315

  • 2016

    "Cultivating metal whiskers by surface plasmon polariton excitation"

    V. Borra, D. Georgiev, V. Karpov

    MRS Advances, volume 1, p. 805--810

  • 2014

    "Design and modeling of high performance LED dimming driver with reduced current spikes using turn-on snubber across power MOSFET"

    V. Borra

    Youngstown State University

  • "Transient Thermal and Electrical Characteristics of a Cylindrical LiFeS2 Cell with Equivalent Circuit Model"

    K. Alsharif, A. Pesch, V. Borra, P. Cortes, E. MacDonald, F. Li, K. Choo

    Dimensions [mm], volume 14, p. 50--5

• Professional Service

  • 2025 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Materials Chemistry and Physics

  • 2025 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Review of Scientific Instruments (AIP)

  • 2024 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Ceramics International (Elsevier)

  • 2024 - 2024

    Committee Member
    IEEE NANO 2024

  • 2024 - 2024

    Reviewer, Book
    Pearson Education (Electric Circuits by Issa Batarseh)

  • 2024 - present

    Committee Member
    IEEE NANO 2025

  • 2024 - present

    Chairperson
    IEEE NANO 2025

  • 2024 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Applied Physics A: Materials Science and Processing

  • 2024 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Computers in Biology and Medicine(Elsevier)

  • 2023 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Global Transitions (Elsevier)

  • 2023 - 2023

    Reviewer, Conference Paper
    IEEE CONECCT 2023

  • 2023 - 2023

    Session Chair
    Quantum, Neuromorphic, and Unconventional Computing (IEEE NANO 2023)

  • 2023 - 2023

    Session Chair
    Nanorobotics and Nanomanufacturing (IEEE NANO 2023)

  • 2023 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics (Springer)

  • 2023 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Journal of Materials Research and Technology (Elsevier)

  • 2023 - 2023

    Workshop Organizer
    Midwest Semiconductor Network Workshop 2023

  • 2023 - present

    Editorial Review Board Member
    Electronic Materials MDPI

  • 2023 - 2023

    Session Chair
    ISSETA 2023: Special Session

  • 2023 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Inorganics (MDPI)

  • 2023 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Thin Solid Films (Elsevier)

  • 2022 - present

    Committee Member
    Midwest Regional Semiconductor and Microelectronics Network

  • 2022 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Applied Sciences (MDPI)

  • 2022 - present

    Editorial Review Board Member
    Micromachines MDPI

  • 2022 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Sustainability (MDPI)

  • 2022 - present

    Reviewer, Conference Paper
    SAE International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, Energy, Environment, & Policy

  • 2022 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Molecules (MDPI)

  • 2022 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Electronic Materials (MDPI)

  • 2021 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Materials (MDPI)

  • 2021 - 2022

    Editor, Journal Editor
    Condensed Matter: Special Issue Title: Electronic materials and devices

  • 2021 - present

    Editorial Review Board Member
    Condensed Matter journal (MDPI)

  • 2021 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Coatings (MDPI)

  • 2021 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Scripta Materialia (Elsevier)

  • 2020 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Processes (MDPI)

  • 2020 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Materials Science (PeerJ)

  • 2020 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Journal of Physics: Materials - Institute of Physics (IOP)

  • 2020 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Condensed Matter (MDPI)

  • 2019 - present

    Reviewer, Journal Article
    Materials Research Express (MRX) - Institute of Physics (IOP)

• Public Service

  • 2023 - present

    Committee Member
    Ohio Department of Higher Education: Transfer Assurance Guide (TAG) statewide faculty review panel