Dr. Kunal Mondal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and a faculty member of the Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research (CATER). His research spans nuclear engineering, materials science, advanced manufacturing, and energy systems, with particular emphasis on nuclear materials, materials for harsh and extreme environments, spent nuclear fuel management, radiation detection and sensing, additive manufacturing, and computational and data-driven approaches for engineering applications. Prior to joining UCF, Dr. Mondal worked as a scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL), where his research addressed nuclear materials, advanced manufacturing, nuclear fuel-cycle technologies, spent fuel storage and transportation, sensors, and energy-related materials. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. He also holds an M.Tech. in Materials Engineering and an M.Sc. in Applied Physics with a specialization in Nuclear Physics from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, and a B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Burdwan. His interdisciplinary research integrates materials science, chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, and advanced manufacturing to develop materials and technologies for nuclear energy, extreme environments, and other advanced energy.