Dr. David J. Singh stands as a distinguished theoretical physicist whose pioneering work has significantly advanced our understanding of materials at the atomic and electronic levels. He currently holds the esteemed position of Curator's Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri with an adjunct appointment in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, though he has transitioned to Professor Emeritus status after seven impactful years on the faculty. Before joining the University of Missouri, Dr. Singh established himself as a leading researcher during his decade-long tenure at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and his sixteen-year career at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory where he began as a postdoctoral researcher. His academic journey commenced with the completion of his PhD at the University of Ottawa which provided the foundation for his subsequent groundbreaking contributions to computational materials science. This diverse institutional background spanning national laboratories and academia has uniquely positioned him to bridge theoretical insights with practical applications in materials design.
Dr. Singh's seminal research program focuses on elucidating the intricate relationships between material structure and functional properties addressing fundamental questions about why certain compounds excel as thermoelectrics high-energy magnets or superconductors while closely related materials fail to demonstrate similar performance. His work has achieved remarkable impact with over 63425 citations according to Google Scholar reflecting the profound influence of his theoretical frameworks across multiple scientific disciplines. A key aspect of his contribution has been the development and refinement of sophisticated computational tools including the widely adopted BoltzTraP code for transport properties the transM code for thermoelectric analysis and the sqs2struct utility for materials modeling. These software innovations have empowered researchers worldwide to predict and understand electronic thermal and magnetic properties of materials with unprecedented accuracy fundamentally transforming how scientists approach materials discovery. His methodological advances in density functional theory and Boltzmann transport calculations have established new standards for computational materials science enabling the targeted design of next-generation functional materials.
Beyond his technical contributions Dr. Singh has profoundly influenced the field through his dedication to education and mentorship having taught physics courses spanning from undergraduate introductory levels to advanced doctoral seminars at the University of Missouri. His interdisciplinary approach has fostered collaborations across physics chemistry and engineering departments catalyzing innovative research directions at the intersection of theoretical modeling and practical materials applications. As an emeritus professor Dr. Singh continues to contribute to the scientific community through ongoing research scholarly publications and guidance to emerging researchers in the field of computational materials science. His work establishing computational frameworks for predicting material properties at the atomic scale remains critically relevant to contemporary challenges in energy conversion electronic materials and quantum technologies. The enduring legacy of Dr. Singh's contributions ensures his continued influence on the trajectory of materials science research as the field advances toward increasingly sophisticated computational design of novel functional materials.
