Indian physicist Dr Katepalli Sreenivasan made Innovation Chair at New York University

NEW YORK: India-born distinguished experimental physicist, Dr Katepalli Sreenivasan, has been appointed to the Kleiner Chair for Innovation in Mechanical Engineering at the New York University (NYU).


Sreenivasan, who currently serves at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU as dean of engineering and is known for his research on the behaviour of fluids and turbulence.

The endowed chair, named in honour of Eugene Kleiner, co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor, the world's first computer chip producer, was given to Sreenivasan by NYU Provost David McLaughlin.

"Dr Sreenivasan is not only a leader in education, engineering, and technology, he is also an outstanding scholar, someone who exemplifies the scientific curiosity, innovative vision, and unwavering drive for which Eugene Kleiner was recognised." said McLaughlin.

"I can think of no one more suited to hold this chair, which has strengthened NYU-Poly's Department of Mechanical Engineering since its founding in 2006," he added.

"Eugene Kleiner was one of the most visionary and innovative graduates in NYU-Poly history. His accomplishments have long served as an inspiration to our students, and it is a great honour to assume the chair bearing his name," Sreenivasan said after his appointment.

Sreenivasan graduated in mechanical engineering from Bangalore University, and did his masters and PhD in aeronautical engineering from the Indian Institute of Science.

He joined NYU in 2009 after serving as director of the International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy. He has also taught at the University of Maryland as well as director of the Institute for Physical Science and Technology.

Between 1987 and 1992, Sreenivasan chaired Yale's Mechanical Engineering Department and held the Harold W Cheel Chair in Mechanical Engineering from 1988.

Sreenivasan is a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Indian Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World, and the African Academy of Sciences.