Biographical sketch
Professional: I graduated with a B.Tech. degree in Chemical Engineering securing University Rank 1 from Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Further, I completed M.Tech. degree in Materials Science and Engineering (Polymers) from IIT Kharagpur. After M.Tech. I had a brief tenure at CEAT Ltd. in Bhandup, Mumbai, prior to moving to the USA for doctoral studies. I initially enrolled in a Ph.D. program at Cornell University, but later transferred to Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, where I earned my Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering. My Ph.D. research was primarily focused on controlling the dispersion state of nanoparticles using stimuli-responsive polymers. After a Ph.D., I worked for Intel Corporation in the U.S.A. as a Technology Development Process Engineer for about 3.5 years and decided to relocate to India for personal reasons. At Intel, my work spanned reactive ion etching and materials development for high-density interconnect applications. After moving back to India, I took up a temporary assignment at IIT Madras as an Institute Postdoctoral Fellow. I later joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at Vignan’s (Deemed to be) University in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, as a faculty member (Associate Professor Grade). At Vignan, I served as Head, Chemical Engineering and Dean of Academics during 2016-2018. Since March 2018, I have been working as a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering at BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus. My research group at BITS Pilani is developing advanced materials and characterization methodologies to tackle current engineering challenges. I am passionate about materials research, and I strongly believe that innovations in this field will make this world a great place to live.
Personal: I grew up in the northern parts of India and spent most of my childhood inside army cantonments. I did my basic schooling at several schools across India, thanks to the transferable nature of my father's job. This allowed me to learn about different cultures within India. During the nine-plus years that I lived in the U.S., I learned about the cultural diversity prevailing around the world. My wife, Kiranmayee, is a medical doctor with an M.B.B.S and M.D. (Pathology) degree from Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad. After working as a Consultant Pathologist for over a decade with leading hospitals, Kiran decided to undertake an entrepreneurial path and currently runs her own advanced medical diagnostic lab (i.e., Hi-Care Diagnostics) in Pilani. Kiran and I are blessed with a sweet angel (Smiti) who is attending Birla School, Pilani. Recently, we adopted a pet named Dobby (Doberman Breed). In our leisure time, we like to watch movies, shop, dine out, or talk about various aspects of medicine and science.
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