Nicholas Rolston
Assistant Professor,
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Other ASU affiliations
Senior Global Futures Scientist,
Global Futures Scientists and Scholars
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Mail code: 5706Campus: Tempe
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Long Bio
Nick Rolston is an Assistant Professor in the School of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering at Arizona State University and a Graduate Faculty in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, and Physics. He received his B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Iowa and his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University for his work on the characterization, design, and fabrication of rapid open-air processed thin-film perovskite photovoltaic devices, after which he spent a year as a postdoctoral researcher in Materials Science and Engineering. His research group at ASU focuses on understanding fundamental mechanical and material properties in thin-film energy devices on length scales from angstroms to meters and developing scalable, open-air deposition methods to produce robust, low-cost solutions toward the goal of manufacturing the next generation of renewable energy technology.
Education
- Ph.D. Applied Physics, Stanford University 2020
- B.S. Physics and Mathematics, University of Iowa 2014
Research Website URL
Google Scholar URL
ORCID Profile ID
Research Interests
Nick's research interests span the areas of renewable energy, materials science, thin-film mechanics, and solid-state physics. Specific areas involve open-air processing of low-cost materials and devices, in-situ reliability characterization, scalable device manufacturing, and optimization/modeling of energy devices and systems using artificial intelligence and machine learning tools. Some applications of interest are thin-film perovskites for photovoltaics, semiconductors for flexible electronics, and lithium-based batteries for energy storage.
Courses
2025 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 493 | Honors Thesis |
| EEE 790 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 690 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 799 | Dissertation |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| MSE 792 | Research |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 493 | Honors Thesis |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 465 | Photovoltaic Energy Conversion |
| EEE 591 | Seminar |
| MSE 593 | Applied Project |
| EEE 465 | Photovoltaic Energy Conversion |
| EEE 591 | Seminar |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
2024 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 493 | Honors Thesis |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 690 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 790 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 799 | Dissertation |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| MAE 792 | Research |
| MSE 599 | Thesis |
| MSE 792 | Research |
| MSE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| MSE 799 | Dissertation |
| CEN 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 591 | Seminar |
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 493 | Honors Thesis |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| MAE 792 | Research |
| EEE 465 | Photovoltaic Energy Conversion |
| MSE 792 | Research |
2024 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 799 | Dissertation |
| EEE 690 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 790 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| MSE 792 | Research |
| MSE 792 | Research |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 799 | Dissertation |
| MSE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| MSE 795 | Continuing Registration |
2024 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EEE 592 | Research |
| EEE 493 | Honors Thesis |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 690 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 799 | Dissertation |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| MSE 792 | Research |
| MSE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 790 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 790 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 493 | Honors Thesis |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 465 | Photovoltaic Energy Conversion |
| EEE 591 | Seminar |
| MSE 593 | Applied Project |
| MSE 792 | Research |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| MSE 799 | Dissertation |
2023 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 493 | Honors Thesis |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 690 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 790 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 799 | Dissertation |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| MSE 792 | Research |
| MSE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| MSE 799 | Dissertation |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| EEE 591 | Seminar |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 493 | Honors Thesis |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 465 | Photovoltaic Energy Conversion |
| MSE 792 | Research |
2023 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EEE 790 | Reading and Conference |
| MSE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 690 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 799 | Dissertation |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| MSE 792 | Research |
| MSE 792 | Research |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 799 | Dissertation |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| MSE 795 | Continuing Registration |
2023 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 790 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| EEE 493 | Honors Thesis |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 690 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 799 | Dissertation |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| MSE 792 | Research |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 493 | Honors Thesis |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 465 | Photovoltaic Energy Conversion |
| EEE 591 | Seminar |
| MSE 792 | Research |
2022 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 493 | Honors Thesis |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 690 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 790 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 799 | Dissertation |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| MSE 792 | Research |
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 493 | Honors Thesis |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 498 | Pro-Seminar |
| EEE 591 | Seminar |
2022 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EEE 790 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 799 | Dissertation |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
2022 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EEE 790 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 592 | Research |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 690 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 599 | Thesis |
| EEE 792 | Research |
| EEE 799 | Dissertation |
| EEE 595 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 590 | Reading and Conference |
| EEE 795 | Continuing Registration |
| EEE 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| EEE 493 | Honors Thesis |
| EEE 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| EEE 465 | Photovoltaic Energy Conversion |
| EEE 591 | Seminar |
Honors / Awards
- Research Mentor to SEMTE Outstanding Barrett Thesis Award (Kay Bakshi) and SEMTE Outstanding Undergraduate (Adianne Alamban) (2024)
- NSF CAREER Award (2024)
- Scialog Fellow: Sustainable Minerals, Metals and Materials (2024)
- Inorganics Young Investigator Award (2023)
- Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative Featured Mentor Award (2023)
- Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Award (2022)
Work History
- Arizona State University (Assistant Professor, 2022–present)
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory Joint Faculty Appointment (2023–present)
- Stanford University (Postdoctoral Researcher, 2021; Graduate Researcher, 2014–2020)
- University of Iowa (Undergraduate Researcher, 2011–2014)
- Cornell University (Undergraduate Summer Intern, 2013)
- Technion Institute of Technology (Undergraduate Summer Intern, 2012)