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Newsmakers of the Week JANUARY 31, 2025 | The Indian Eye 28

Quantum Center is an entity within the UTC Research Institute.
With $3.5 million in funding from NIST, an agency of the U.S. Depart-
ment of Commerce, the UTC Quantum Center will focus on four areas of ac-
tivity: infrastructure; education and outreach; use of case-driven research and
development; and business development to ensure the Center’s sustainability.
“I am deeply impressed by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s
commitment to advancing quantum research, which stands as a testament to
the University’s foresight and dedication to shaping the future of technol-
ogy,” Mukherjee said. “In addition, EPB’s bold involvement into quantum
networks further encapsulates the city’s spirit to embrace this bright future.”
“Accepting the position of director of the UTC Quantum Center is not
only a tremendous honor, it’s a unique opportunity to contribute to this excit-
ing vision,” proudly announced Dr. Mukherjee.
Mukherjee was at his most recent post, in Hamburg, Germany, since
April 2022. Prior to that, he was a research associate from 2018 to 2022 at
Imperial College London, a global top 10 university in science, engineering,
Kumar received his master’s and Ph.D. (2005) in aerospace engineering
from the top-ranked Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, India. business and medicine.
After serving as a visiting scientist at the Harvard Institute for Theoretical
“I am delighted to have this opportunity to serve as the chair,” Kumar
said. “I would like to thank our dean and my colleagues in the department for Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics in summer 2017, Mukherjee held the
post of visiting scholar at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Re-
entrusting me with this important position. I will do my best to provide quality search in Bhopal from 2017 to 2018. He completed a two-year postdoctoral
education to our students and help the growth of our faculty and staff.” research fellowship at Rice University in Houston in 2017.
During Kumar’s distinguished service to the college, he has received
more than $30 million in research funding from the Department of Defense,
NASA, National Science Foundation and major aerospace industries as PI SHIKHA NANGIA
& Co-PI. He has also published more than 150 papers in leading aerospace
journals and conferences. Syracuse University confirms
His current research interests include experimental aerodynamics, super-
sonic and hypersonic flows, advanced flow diagnostics, active flow and noise Professor as Chair of
control, and high-speed test facilities.
“I have strong confidence in Professor Kumar’s leadership and believe
that, under his guidance, the department will continue to flourish and achieve Department
new heights,” said Survranu De, dean of the FAMU-FSU College of Engi-
neering.
Professor Kumar succeeds Professor William Oates, who served as de- yracuse University, recently announced the name of Professor Shikha
partment chair since 2021. De thanked Oates for his outstanding leadership Nangia as the permanent Department Chair of Biomedical and Chem-
during his tenure as mechanical engineering faculty leader. Sical Engineering (BMCE) in the College of Engineering and Computer
Science. She has served as the Interim Department Chair of BMCE since
DR. RICK MUKHERJEE August 1, 2024, and her first term as Department Chair will run through sum-
mer 2028.
Physicist assumes role strong foundation of innovation, collaboration, and excellence. Together, we
“I am deeply honored to lead this remarkable department, built on a
as inaugural UTC Quantum will push the boundaries of engineering, fostering a culture that values diver-
sity, creativity, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge,” says Nangia. “Our
mission is to educate the next generation of biomedical and chemical engi-
Center director neers and to pioneer research that addresses today’s challenges while shap-
ing a better tomorrow. I am committed to empowering our faculty, staff, and
students by creating an inclusive environment where every voice is heard, and
every idea has the potential to thrive.”
Nangia joined Syracuse University in 2012 and has since established her-
self as a leading expert in computational modeling, with a focus on overcoming
biological barriers. Her groundbreaking research addresses critical challenges
in treating complex diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well
as investigating gut tight junctions, implantable device-related infections, and
epigenetics. A significant aspect of her work involves studying the architecture
of the blood-brain barrier to develop innovative strategies for enhancing the
delivery of drug molecules into the brain.
Nangia has authored numerous high-impact publications in leading sci-
entific journals and serves as an Associate Editor for ACS Applied Bio Mate-
rials. She was a recipient of the NSF Career Award in 2015 and has received
substantial funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Na-
tional Institutes of Health (NIH). She has also received numerous honors for
her research, including the ACS OpenEye Outstanding Junior Faculty Award
(2016) and the ACS WCC Rising Star Award (2022).
r. Rick Mukherjee has been appointed as the inaugural director of the
UTC Quantum Center by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
DHe was selected for the post in mid-2024 and assumed the role on Dec. To read more about Indian diaspora and Global Indians, log on to and follow
1. Mukherjee’s arrival is the latest milestone towards creating a UTC program our website www.TheIndianEYE.com
of excellence in Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE). The

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