Dr. Ganesh Pokharel joined the University of West Georgia as an Assistant Professor of Physics in Fall 2024. He received his BSc and MSc from Tribhuvan University in Nepal, MS from the University of Memphis, PhD from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK), and Post doctoral research experience from the University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB). His research focuses on the exploration of quantum materials with transformative applications. Employing techniques of various types of solid-state reactions, he is interested to offer students experimental learning opportunities to synthesize magnetic and energy storage (battery) materials and characterize their physical and magnetic properties through crystallography, transport and bulk properties measurements.

Dr. Pokharel began his teaching career as a high school teacher in Nepal and later transitioned to college teaching. He taught a wide variety of courses both in Nepal and as a teaching assistant during his graduate studies in the USA. At UCSB, he served as a mentor and Graduate Student Assistant Coordinator, supermentor, to undergraduate students in their Quantum Foundry summer intership programs. He strives to motivate his students to explore new ideas and discoveries by incorporating recent technological breakthroughs into the curriculum and research projects.