EE - Solar Energy Program Comparison - ASU and UDel

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Greetings,

I am interested in pursuing PhD level research in solar cell design/fabrication. I am happy to report that I received admissions to the University of Delaware for their Solar Power Program (Research Assistantship). I am also waiting to hear back from Arizona State University. (Applied to both through their respective Electrical Engineering Departments)

As I understand it, both institutions have excellent programs in the area of solar cell research, with UDel's program being well established and ASU's beginning to take off in great fashion. I was hoping some people on this board might have knowledge of the programs or schools that are of interest to me (if I should attain admissions to ASU) for my decision making.

I realize it sounds like I am 'counting my chickens before they hatch' in posting this before I hear back from ASU, but please understand while I am confident in my ability to excel for either institution, I realize these schools have very difficult decisions to make and that I may very well miss the cut. Instead, I am posting this now as opposed to waiting because my acceptance/rejection of UDel's offer is actually due soon. Therefore, I wish to amass all the information I can in the remaining time I have.

All I know about ASU's program is that they recently brought a highly regarded professor into the mix at ASU, I believe to begin work on "third generation" photovoltaic materials.

I have learned a great deal of UDel's program, thanks to a very informative campus/department tour they gave me, and understand that my research will more than likely be in the area of high efficiency silicon cells.

So, for those who have knowledge of either/both programs, I would sincerely appreciate your input/comments/suggestions. Also information about the schools in general or locations would be wonderful!

Thank you

[RichardMNixon]

Delaware has a top ten chemical engineering department also heavily involved in photovoltaics as well as the solar hydrogen IGERT fellowship, so you should be able to have a lot of great support and interdisciplinary work. Don't know anything about ASU.