Barry Rand, an expert in advanced electronics and clean energy technologies, has been named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
The National Academy of Inventors was founded in 2012 to support inventors and to increase visibility for academic innovation. Today, the organization includes over 4,600 individual members. The 2025 Class of Fellows will be honored and presented their medals at the NAI 15th Annual Conference on June 4th, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Rand, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, investigates the optical and electrical properties of ultra-thin materials — as thin as only one layer of atoms — to build electronics for applications that go beyond what is possible with silicon.
Rand’s research has advanced organic solar cells, an emerging technology that enables flexible and lightweight devices that can be applied to curved or irregular surfaces. While promising, the technology still faces hurdles including long-term stability and energy efficiency compared to silicon. One of Rand’s projects demonstrated that a uniform material is less prone to energy loss than a mix of materials. This finding broke convention, as researchers had previously believed that some level of material diversity in solar cell mixtures was better for performance.
His group also specializes in working with metal halide perovskites, a class of semiconductors with unique optical and electrical properties, including exceptional light absorption and high tolerance to defects. In collaboration with researchers from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Rand combined silicon and perovskite in a tandem solar cell that was more efficient and stronger than either cell on its own.
Perovskites also show promise as a low-cost light source to replace light emitting diodes, or LEDs. Perovskite LEDs offer higher color quality and simpler manufacturing, but they’ve been known to break down under the electrical currents typically required for practical uses. Rand’s team discovered the key to managing heat in perovskite LEDs and developed a novel technique that allows nanoparticles to self-assemble to increase efficiency and durability. Researchers had thought perovskite LEDs would not work for ultra-bright displays on cell phones and laptop screens. Rand’s work opened new avenues for these applications.
Rand has filed approximately 30 patents with Princeton’s Office of Technology Licensing related to thin-film electronics and solar energy conversion.
In addition to his research, Rand has been recognized for outstanding teaching nine times by the Dean of the School of Engineering. He has also served as associate director for external partnerships at the Andlinger Center, overseeing the Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership program. He is associated faculty in the Princeton Materials Institute and the High Meadows Environmental Institute.
Rand joined Princeton in 2013. He earned his Ph.D. from Princeton University and his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from The Cooper Union in New York City. Previous honors include a DARPA Young Faculty Award, 3M Nontenured Faculty Award, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigators Initiative award, DuPont Young Professor Award and a Young Investigator Program award from the Office of Naval Research.
