Prof. Jephias Gwamuri

Prof. Jephias Gwamuri

Professor/Senior Lecturer - Applied Physics

 I hold a B.Sc. in Physics & Electronics from Cuba, a Masters in Lasers and Applied Optics from NUST and a PhD in Material Sciences and Engineering from Michigan Technological University, USA. I am a specialist in Materials Science and Engineering, and have coordinated a number of projects including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) funded RAF-8040 Zimbabwe project and the Regional Environmental Initiative Network (REIN) –-- Africa funded Biofuels Project. I have co-authored several research articles, technical reports, a policy brief and a contribution to a book chapter. For some of my research endeavours, I have received a handful of awards including the ICTP-African LAM network award, the Most Outstanding Scholar Award (Michigan Tech) and the researcher of the year awards at NUST. I have led and collaborated in various solar PV and 3D printing projects including; Open –-- Source 3D printers for development, solar PV Microgrids, 3D Printers for education, PV systems optimisation, Energy Storage, Electric Vehicles, Artificial Intelligence, and IOT driven system, among others. I have vast experience in grants and project proposals writing and management, Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property Management and Commercialisation. I am former Director of Research and Innovation at Great Zimbabwe University. Among other attributes, I am an active reviewer (Journals and Conferences Proceedings) as well as program accreditations. I supervised students’ research projects (B.Sc., M.Sc., M.Phil., and Ph.D.) and examined students’ thesis (B.Sc., M.Sc., M.Phil., and Ph.D.) mostly as an external examiner. I am a member of --- the International Network on Appropriate Technology (INAT), Society of Photonics Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), Optical Society of America (OSA), among others.

Email: jephias.gwamuri@nust.ac.zw; jgwamuri@mtu.edu; jgwa

Qualifications
PhD (2016, Material Science and Engineering) - Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI; MSc (2004, Lasers and Applied Optics) - National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; Licenciate (1996, Physics & Electronics) ISP Enrique Jose Varona,Havana, Cuba

Research
Solar PV Conversion Efficiency; Plasmonics & Metamaterials in Photovoltaics; Transparent Conducting Oxides (TCO (ITO, ZnO, AZO))growth techniques & characterization; PV Systems Design and Optimization; 3D Printing, Open Source Hardware and Appropriate Technology; Renewable Energy Technologies and Energy Efficiency; System engineering, grid integration and smart grids; Research grants awards: RAEIN-Africa grant.

 

Selected Publications

  • Exchanging ohmic losses in metamaterial absorbers with useful optical absorption for photovoltaics: A Vora, J Gwamuri, N Pala, A Kulkarni, JM Pearce, DÖ Güney

Scientific Reports 4 (4901)
  • Reversing the trend of large scale and centralization in manufacturing: The case of distributed manufacturing of customizable 3-D-printable self-adjustable glasses: J Gwamuri, BT Wittbrodt, NC Anzalone, JM Pearce

Challenges in Sustainability 2 (1), 30-40
  • Multi-resonant silver nano-disk patterned thin film hydrogenated amorphous silicon solar cells for Staebler-Wronski effect compensation: A Vora, J Gwamuri, JM Pearce, PL Bergstrom, DÖ Güney

Journal of Applied Physics 116 (9), 093103
  • A New Method of Preparing Highly Conductive Ultra-Thin Indium Tin Oxide for Plasmonic Enhanced Thin Film Solar Photovoltaic Devices: JMP Jephias Gwamuri, Ankit Vora, Jeyanthinath Mayandi, Durdu Guney, Paul L ...

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 149, 250-257
  • Impact of snow and ground interference on photovoltaic electric system performance: N Heidari, J Gwamuri, T Townsend, JM Pearce

IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics 5 (6), 1680-1685
  • Advances in plasmonic light trapping in thin-film solar photovoltaic devices: J Gwamuri, DÖ Güney, JM Pearce

Solar cell nanotechnology, 241-269
  • Influence of oxygen concentration on the performance of ultra-thin RF magnetron sputter deposited indium tin oxide films as a top electrode for photovoltaic devices: J Gwamuri, M Marikkannan, J Mayandi, P Bowen, J Pearce

Materials 9 (1), 63
  • High-efficiency solar-powered 3-D printers for sustainable development: J Gwamuri, D Franco, K Khan, L Gauchia, J Pearce

Machines 4 (1), 3
  • Open-source automated mapping four-point probe: H Chandra, S Allen, S Oberloier, N Bihari, J Gwamuri, J Pearce

Materials 10 (2), 110
  • Limitations of ultra-thin transparent conducting oxides for integration into plasmonic-enhanced thin-film solar photovoltaic devices: J Gwamuri, A Vora, RR Khanal, AB Phillips, MJ Heben, DO Guney, ...

Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy 4 (3), 12
  • Design of PV Solar Home System for Use in Urban Zimbabwe: J Gwamuri, S Mhlanga

4th International Appropriate Technology Conference - 2010
  • Design of multijunction photovoltaic cells optimized for varied atmospheric conditions: C Zhang, J Gwamuri, R Andrews, JM Pearce

International Journal of Photoenergy 2014
  • Solar cell nanotechnology: J Gwamuri, D Guney, JM Pearce, A Tiwari, R Boukherroub, M Sharon ,John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 241-269
  • Enhancement of hydrogenated amorphous silicon solar cells with front-surface hexagonal plasmonic arrays from nanoscale lithography: C Zhang, J Gwamuri, S Cvetanovic, M Sadatgol, DO Guney, JM Pearce

Journal of Optics 19 (7), 075901
  • Controlling optical absorption in metamaterial absorbers for plasmonic solar cells: W Adams, A Vora, J Gwamuri, JM Pearce, DÖ Güney

Active Photonic Materials VII 9546, 95461M
  • Investigating Light Propagation in Turbid Media by Evaluating Optical Properties of Phantom Tissues: J Gwamuri, AV Gholap, TSM Shartir, PK Bassuah

SPONSORS, 55
  • Open Source 3-D Printers: An Appropriate Technology for Developing Communities: J Gwamuri, J Poliskey, J Pearce

7th International Conference on Appropriate Technology (7th ICAT …
  • General design procedures for airport-based solar photovoltaic systems: A Anurag, J Zhang, J Gwamuri, JM Pearce Energies 10 (8), 1194
  • Open source 3-D printers: An appropriate technology for building low cost optics labs for the developing communities:J Gwamuri, JM Pearce

Education and training in optics and photonics, 104522S
  • A survey on the association between blood glucose levels, lipidemia and selected type 2 diabetes predisposing risk factors in Bulawayo district Zimbabwe: S Dube, T Msonza, J Gwamuri, C Dube

4th International Conference on Appropriate Technology, Ghana, 67-172
  • Ambiance-dependent agglomeration and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy response of self-assembled silver nanoparticles for plasmonic photovoltaic devices: J Gwamuri, R Venkatesan, M Sadatgol, J Mayandi, DO Guney, JM Pearce

Journal of Photonics for Energy 7 (3), 037002
  • The viability of nanotechnology-based InGaN solar photovoltaic devices for sustainable energy generation: JM Pearce, C Zhang, J Rozario, J Gwamuri

MRS Online Proceedings Library Archive 1558
  • Impact of Jatropha on rural livelihoods: J Gwamuri, B Mvumi, EF Maguranyanga, I Nyagumbo

RAEIN-Africa Secretariat, Windhoek
  • DESIGN OF A PV (PHOTOVOLTAIC) MICRO-GRID /TEST-BED SYSTEM FOR NUST:E Manikwa, M Tapera, N Ndlovu, J Gwamuri

8th International Conference on Appropriate Technology: Endogenous Knowledge …
  • Increasing Solar Energy Conversion Efficiency In Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaic Devices With Plasmonic Perfect Meta–Absorbers: J Gwamuri
  • Feasibility Study of a Hybrid Photovoltaic-Micro Hydropower System for Remote Medical Centers (Under review): J Matewe, A Soko, J Gwamuri
  • Site Specific Study of the Effects of Temperature and Soiling on PV System Performance: The Case of NUST and Macdonalds Bricks Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: A Soko, J Matewe, J Gwamuri
  • Short Term Load Forecasting System Using Artificial Neural Networks for Improved Demand Scheduling by Power Utilities (under review): J.Sibanda,J Gwamuri                                                                                

           

 

Other Publications

  • Gwamuri, J., Selection and Preparation of A Suitable Radiotracer. 2nd Project Conference (RAF8040) on Applications for Troubleshooting and Optimizing Industrial Processes 23 – 25 May 2011,  Pretoria, South Africa
  • Gwamuri, J., Gana, G., Maguranyanga, E. F., Mwenje, E. Bio-fuels, Land Degradation and the Cost of Food Production. SADC Regional Conference on Sustainable Land Management in the Dry Lands of Southern African: the Practicalities, 07 – 11 September 2009, Windhoek country Resort Club. Paper submitted for publication. (Paper published by Min. of Environment & Tourism, Namibia).
  • Gwamuri, J., Level Measurements Using Neutron Backscatter. Regional (AFRA) 1st Conference and 2nd Coordination Meeting on Radioisotopes Applications for Troubleshooting and Optimizing Industrial Processes. Accra, Ghana, 16-20  June 2008. Conference Proceedings.
  • Gwamuri, J., Buah-Bassuah, P. K., Gholap, A. V., Mohamed, T. S., Laser Radiation Interaction with Biological Tissues. International Conference on Optics and Laser Applications in Medicine and Environmental Monitoring for Sustainable Development (OPTOLASERMED 2007), University of Cape Coast, Ghana, 19-24. Winning Poster. http://atconference2008.blogspot.com/2007/08/summary-report-from-second.html 

 

Technical Reports

  • Tugwi-Mukosi Masterplan. Report of Study and Combination masterplan. 2023.
  • Gwamuri, M. Kreiger, and J.M. Pearce (2012). "Variable Angle Ellipsometry Spectroscopy Characterization of Amorphous Silicon" Interim Report (Completed for Thin Silicon, INC, (Winter 2012)).
  • Gwamuri, J., .(2010). Agro-fuels country status paper - Zimbabwe. (Consultancy Paper Paper for CTDT).

 

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