Carlos E. Castano

Carlos E. Castano joined Kansas State University as an associate professor in the Alan Levin Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering in January 2026. Prior to K-State, Castano was an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Nuclear Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and director of the Vertically Integrated Programs (VIP) for the College of Engineering. Castano received a bachlor’s in engineering physics and a master’s in materials engineering from the National University of Colombia. He worked in research and development for a few years in the coating industry before obtaining his doctorate in materials science and engineering at Missouri S&T. He joined VCU in 2014, holding appointments as a postdoctoral fellow, research associate at the Nanomaterials Core Characterization Center and assistant professor before being promoted with tenure in 2023. Castano has received funding from various sources, including state and federal agencies like the VA Department of Energy, NSF, DOE and NRC, as well as multiple industrial sponsors.