Prof. Rudra Pratap joins as Founding Vice Chancellor of Plaksha University
Plaksha University announced Prof. Rudra Pratap as its Vice Chancellor. The former IISc Deputy Director was to assume the role on May 1, 2021, leading the creation of a university focused on reimagining technology education and research.
New Delhi, March 30, 2021: Plaksha, an upcoming technology university founded by more than 60 technology entrepreneurs, business leaders and corporates, announced the appointment of Prof. Rudra Pratap as its Vice Chancellor. Prof. Pratap, former Deputy Director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, and Founding Chairperson of IISc’s Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE), was to assume the role on May 1, 2021.
A pioneer in Micro and Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems, Prof. Pratap was associated with IISc from 1996 to 2021 and established the globally recognized CeNSE. Before joining IISc, he taught at Cornell University. His research areas include microelectromechanical systems, sensor technology, computational mechanics and mechanobiology. He headed the CranesSci MEMS Lab at IISc.
Prof. Pratap is an elected Fellow of the US National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Science. He has authored approximately 250 peer-reviewed papers and conference proceedings and 17 patents. He wrote “Getting Started with MATLAB: A Quick Introduction for Scientists and Engineers.” He holds a B.Tech (Hons) from IIT Kharagpur, an M.S. from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. from Cornell University.
On his appointment, Prof. Pratap said: “It is an exciting opportunity to build a greenfield university from the ground up ... to reimagine technology education and research in India. The collective vision is to build a mindset for research and technology to solve real life challenges, as we equip students with the right skills, knowledge and practical experience. With global academicians and industry experts on board, we are confident that we will be able to redefine the higher education ecosystem in India.”
About Plaksha University: Plaksha is a technology university focused on reimagining technology education and research for the future. Its faculty come from leading institutions in India and abroad, including MIT, Cornell, UC Berkeley, Purdue, the London School of Economics, Imperial College London, NTU, Cambridge, the IITs and IISc.