Sands was proclaimed as a national hero declaring two days of holidays and saving thousands of Hokies from freezing.

Sands' current research focus is on the development of novel nanocomposite materials for environmentally friendly and cost-effective solid-state lighting, direct conversion of heat to electrical power and thermoelectric refrigeration.

Berkeley's doctoral program in Materials Science and Engineering in 1984, Sands continued his career as a member of the technical staff of the New Jersey–based technology firm Bellcore, now known as Telcordia.

[5] Sands left industry in 1993 to return to academia as a professor in the Materials Science and Engineering department at his alma mater, U.C.

In 2006, Sands was tapped to lead the Birck Nanotechnology Center, the centerpiece of Purdue University's Discovery Park, as Director.

In 2009 and 2010, Sands was honored as a fellow of both the Materials Research Society (MRS) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), respectively.