This story is part of a University of Toledo faculty and staff spotlight series, where we feature uplifting stories of the remarkable achievements and contributions of hidden champions who call UToledo home, fostering connections across campus. Cover graphic by Juice House. Image courtesy of Nikolas Podraza.
Nikolas Podraza is the chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and a NEG Endowed Chair Professor at the University of Toledo. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in physics and materials science, and is also an alum of UToledo. Most recently, he also helped establish a new bachelor’s program in materials science at the university — the first in northwest Ohio. The JuicePress team recently interviewed Podraza to learn more about his role and contribution to campus.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself. Can you summarize what you do in your role?
A: As department chair, I am officially responsible for the management and operation of the teaching, research, and service obligations of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. This includes financial management; organizing committees that do program assessment, curriculum development, graduate admissions, undergraduate recruiting, and faculty and staff matters; promoting our programs; coordination with other departments and the college on broader university initiatives; and most importantly making sure that the department serves its mission to undergraduate and graduate students throughout the university, both physics and astronomy majors and students taking physics and astronomy courses. I also teach graduate and undergraduate courses in physics and materials science and perform research in that area too. It’s fun because I get to pull information from my research into class, and when teaching I sometimes get ideas about research problems by thinking about them in different ways.
Q: What are your degrees in and where did you study?
A: My B.S. (2003) and M.S. (2004) in physics are from Penn State University, and my Ph.D. (2008) is also in physics from University of Toledo.
Q: What field or research area do you focus on? What initially sparked your interest?
A: My research involves studying materials using spectroscopic ellipsometry over wide spectral ranges, usually for optical and electronic devices like thin film solar cells. Spectroscopic ellipsometry detects changes in the polarization state of light when it interacts with samples, which may consist of bulk materials like glasses or stacks of thin films. Thin film solar cells are incredibly wild to me because the layers that generate all the power are less than one tenth the thickness of a human hair.
My group develops nondestructive optical measurements to identify problems in real functioning solar cells. It’s often like detective work in a sense because we are investigating sources of why the devices don’t work as intended. If we are lucky, we can also figure out their solutions. I first got into this area during a summer NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. I really liked the work I was doing in determining new ways of analyzing optical data, then applying it to materials used in devices like solar cells and night vision sensors.
Q: Tell us about your academic journey, what were some pivotal moments for you?
A: I started work in my research area through a summer NSF REU program. I always liked problem solving, math and tinkering with how things work. During the program, everything came together for me. Before then, I would not have chosen to work in this area, but it was important to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. I encourage every student to try programs like this, including undergraduate research, internships and volunteering — even if not required by your program — because you’ll learn things you never would otherwise and find opportunities you might or might not want to be part of your career.
I liked it, so I continued my graduate work in the same research area. My Ph.D. advisor moved to [the] University of Toledo near the beginning of my graduate work; however, I had working equipment that was difficult to move. While my advisor built his Ph.D. group at UToledo, I drove back and forth across I-80 many, many times to do experiments at Penn State while taking courses and helping establish the new group here. As my Ph.D. was wrapping up, a project led to a postdoctoral position at Penn State. Afterwards, I became a research associate and then a research assistant professor there. I found some great collaborations, some of which are still ongoing and really grew as an independent researcher.
When a tenure-track position was advertised in [the Department of] Physics and Astronomy at UToledo, I knew about the great facilities and the students I would be working with. It was an easy decision to apply, and I received an offer. Since then, I’ve been continuing to build my research group. In 2022 when I became department chair, my responsibilities broadened so I try to be a good steward for the department by ensuring that our students, faculty and staff are supported in their endeavors.
Q: Who or what has been a significant influence on your professional journey?
A: My Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Rob Collins. I first met him while taking an undergraduate class he taught, and I worked in his group during my NSF REU project and for my graduate degrees. He is a great mentor and friend. I was continuously supported, but also had the freedom and flexibility to develop as an independent researcher. Rob is truly one of the most kind and professional people I have ever met. He is also a leader in our research community and made substantial contributions to the University of Toledo. After coming here as the NEG Endowed Chair Professor in 2004, he built both his group and substantially contributed to the semiconductors and solar cell research efforts here. He served as principal investigator for the $18 million grant that founded the Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization in 2006. It was an educational experience watching how PVIC formed then becoming a part of it.
I am also very fortunate to have a large collection of collaborators at UToledo and elsewhere. I’d like to mention my “other advisor” during my graduate work and after, Dr. Chris Wronski. Dr. Wronski was co-inventor of the amorphous silicon solar cell and co-discoverer of the Staebler-Wronski effect. He and Dr. Collins worked together for many years on solar cell technologies when they were both at Penn State. Chris was a great scientist and mentor, as well as a huge character. I have many great Dr. Wronski stories. He always encouraged me in my work but was never afraid to criticize — and argue about — something I was doing or going on in the field. Our discussion and arguments helped me become a better collaborator and scientist.
Throughout my whole academic journey, I’ve been very fortunate to have the support of my friends and family. Honestly, even now my friends — including those who work at UToledo — are great to remind me about work-life balance.
Q: What excites you most about the future of your field?
A: There are always new materials and new devices to investigate. For solar cells, the biggest new area in the last decade has been organic-inorganic lead halide-based perovskite materials. I started work on these materials through collaborations with Dr. Yanfa Yan and Dr. Zhaoning Song here, and I had no idea that I would still be working on them now. There are always areas like perovskites that are something different that may or may not work as intended, but it is always fun to see what can be achieved. I also like seeing how new discoveries can really be implemented. There are many steps between finding a potential application and then actually seeing it produced. It’s a great time to be doing work in materials science, particularly at UToledo as we have strong connections to the glass and solar industry which helps us do work that has direct, real-world impact. The most exciting part of that for me is that we can bring students into these areas, there are always new students excited to do this work, and then I get to see them succeeding in the field.
Q: What advice would you give to students who are interested in pursuing a career in your field?
A: Get involved early and often. Look for summer REU projects, internships, positions in research groups, volunteer spots, anything that will give you a flavor of what things are like in STEM. You’ll find certain aspects that you like, and others that you don’t. This is fine. It’ll help you determine what YOU want to do and then find the best way to do it for YOU. There’s also a lot of good advice from your peers and advisors, but nothing is one-size-fits-all. Everyone has their own academic path, and they are very rarely identical. There are going to be successes and setbacks, just like everywhere else in life so you need to be persistent.
Q: Can you share about a project or research initiative you’re particularly proud of? Tell us about the work that you do.
A: Part of my research involves using non-contacting optical measurements — spectroscopic ellipsometry — to study materials and their performance in opto-electronic devices like solar cells. In these devices, layers of semiconductor, conductor and dielectric materials with given thicknesses are stacked together in a particular order. If some layers are too thick or thin, do not have the expected electrical conductivity or resistivity, or do not have the needed optical transparency or absorption, the device won’t work as intended.
In our spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements, detecting changes in the polarization state of light when interacting with a sample, we can measure the thickness and optical properties of each layer even in complicated devices with many different material layers like solar cells. This gives us information about the exact device we are looking at to diagnose what is going wrong. When we do these measurements at very long wavelengths — THz spectral range — we can optically obtain information about the electrical properties of each material without making direct physical contact. Normally, electrical properties are measured by making direct electrical contact — completing an electric circuit. When multiple layers are stacked together in a solar cell, it is difficult or impossible to measure the electrical properties of each individual layer directly. Our measurements enable that capability.
Over the years, we have developed measurement configurations to extract electrical properties of layers in complete solar cell devices using THz spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements conducted under applied magnetic fields and under light and dark conditions to help pull out more information. I’m particularly proud of this work because we have gotten so far because the students have been exceptional. Every improvement we have made has stemmed from a student’s success, then asking “what can we do next?”
Q: What are some of your most significant achievements at the university? And in what ways have you contributed to the broader university community?
A: My most significant achievements come from working with students. We have done some great work in the field of spectroscopic ellipsometry and optical characterization of materials as well as their application in solar cells and other opto-electronic devices. Students in our group, myself and my collaborators have pushed new measurements and analysis approaches in our field. This has enabled us to pull out physically meaningful details and new information. When we measure properties of a material or find out the detail[s] of how a device works — or doesn’t — we publish it. It’s exciting to see how other researchers use and cite our work.
I’m fortunate to have been involved in a variety of collaborative projects with other faculty in PVIC and the department over the years. This has truly supported all the research work in my group and provides the students with broader perspectives. As department chair, I try to help faculty within and outside of our department to promote their own research by building collaborations and seeking new opportunities. There have been larger research thrusts within the university that I have been a part of, like PVIC funding from the Air Force and Department of Energy and our involvement in the Northwest Ohio Innovation Consortium glass innovation hub. There are always new projects on the horizon, too.
Developing and updating curricula have always been important to me. I learned a lot about the processes after joining the department. When it was time for more major reviews and overhauls, I was able to lend a hand. This included updating our B.S. and B.A. programs to include undergraduate research experiences for 100% of our students, implementing professional development and senior capstone projects, and modernizing our graduate curriculum.
Recently, I have been involved with developing programs to help students at our university obtain job-ready degrees and credentials. This has included development of the interdisciplinary B.S. in materials science in collaboration with the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and offering courses from the College of Engineering. This was a truly rewarding experience because our university’s expertise in materials science has long been recognized — U.S. News & World Report ranks us in the top quarter of universities globally in materials science — and now we have the first and only B.S. in materials science program in northwest Ohio. The best part about developing the program was that it was done in collaboration with great colleagues, including professor Terry Bigioini and Dean Marc Seigar, because it was the right thing to do for students at our university as well as being beneficial for the glass and solar industries in the region. I’ve been involved in other curricular projects to help students connect to their future careers including an integrated B.S. in physics and M.S. in physics or M.S. in biomedical sciences-medical physics concentration with the latter in collaboration with the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, undergraduate and graduate certificate programs in materials science, again in collaboration with chemistry, an undergraduate certificate in semiconductors in collaboration with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the College of Engineering, and undergraduate and graduate certificates in photovoltaics.
Q: How do you support students outside of the classroom?
A: Through research opportunities in my group. That gives me the ability to provide direct advising on our research work, professional development and all the other things we need for careers in STEM. Once I became department chair, I realized that I would be an advisor in different ways for vastly more students. This includes giving advice when things are going right and they are looking for the next steps, as well as helping out when there is a situation preventing that from happening. I try to do the best I can by listening and trying to find the best solution — which is not always easy. I am also trying to build a community in our department. I’ll tell students — and faculty and staff — that “no reasonable request will be denied” to encourage them to pursue things that they think are important both in terms of their own academic success, but also outreach efforts.
Q: What is a meaningful or favorite memory you have of being an undergraduate or graduate student?
A: My first research conference was the 3rd International Conference on Spectroscopic Ellipsometry in Vienna, Austria during the summer after finishing my bachelor’s. I gave my first public, scientific talk there. It was a great experience because even though I wasn’t even a graduate student yet, everyone in the field treated me like a colleague. I was on the right path for me. I’ve been to all the other ICSEs since — the 10th happened in Boulder, Colorado in 2025 — and [I] have thoroughly enjoyed bringing students in my group to share the experience.
Q: What do you enjoy about living in the Toledo area?
A: Toledo is a great place to call home. There are a lot of things going on here, but you need to make the effort. It is relative[ly] calm, there isn’t much stress related to commuting and it is relatively affordable. From here, I can get anywhere I need to go in the world within a reasonable amount of time.
Q: What hobbies or interests do you pursue outside of work?
A: I enjoy traveling and the outdoors. I’ll go pretty much anywhere, and have been to a decent number of places across the world, both for work and fun. It’s all about the experiences. I also take every opportunity I can to get to my cabin — it’s a great escape for me to be out in nature.
Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?
A: I’ve learned a lot about plumbing, electrical work and general construction — destruction. Over the last decade, I’ve been renovating my cabin, mostly by myself with help from friends and family. It’s challenging because nothing is standard, but what is?
Note: Responses from the interviewee were received by email and have been edited for grammar and clarity.
