Winner. Scientist of the Year 2020

Padmanabhan Krishnan

Academic title, degree: Professor, Ph.D. in Composite Materials Engineering
Fields of science: Composite Materials, Materials Engineering, Fracture and Failure Analysis, Electronic Packaging, Finite Element Analysis, Additive Manufacturing, Product Development
Research interest: Advanced and smart materials engineering, fracture mechanics, fatigue, composite materials and manufacturing, mechanics, modelling and simulation, product design and development
Institution: Vellore Institute of Technology
Position: Professor
Country: India

Dr. Padmanabhan Krishnan took his B.Sc in Physics with first class from the Madras Presidency College in 1984 that boasts of having produced two Nobel Laureates. He then took his M.Sc (Physics with Materials Science) from the Annamalai University, Chidambaram, in 1986, with a first class. He then proceeded to secure M.Sc [Engg] and PhD [Engg] degrees in the field of Fiber-Reinforced Composite from the Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, in the years 1991 and 1995, respectively with distinction. Prior that he had his work experience in the area of High Tc Ceramic Superconductors and Silicon Semiconductors. After completing his PhD [Eng.] he was a Visiting Scientist at the National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore, in their prestigious HANSA - all Composite Aircraft Programme. He has been a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the NSTB/Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, a Guest Researcher with the University of Delaware, USA, a Guest Faculty at COMPTEC, IIT Madras, and a Research Fellow at the Innovations in Manufacturing Systems Technology Programme of Singapore-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Alliance, Singapore. He joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering, Chennai, in June 2005 as a Professor, and was shouldering the department’s research initiatives for nearly five years.

Presently Dr. Padmanabhan Krishnan is a Professor, and till recently he was the Assistant Director of the Centre of Excellence in Nano-Composites in the School of Mechanical Engineering at the VIT University in Vellore. His Centre secured high funding from government agencies and organizations. He has handled and successfully completed many prestigious funded and consultancy projects to the tune of a few crores.

Prof. Padmanabhan Krishnan is listed in three who is who titles in the world, viz. Marquis Who’s Who, American Biographical Institute and International Biographical Centre, Cambridge. Among his recent awards are the “Innovative Technologist and Dedicated Teacher Award” from the Society of Professional Engineers, India (2017), the “Best Professor in Mechanical Engineering Award for the Year 2017” from the Indian Society of Mechanical Engineers (March 2018) and “Marquis Who’s Who of America” conferred the Albert Nelson Life Time Achievement Award for 2018. Recently he was named a Recipient of the Indo-Australian I2OR Distinguished Educator Award and Adroit Best Researcher Award for 2018, and a Recipient of the Green ThinkerZ Preeminent Researcher Award (2019) by the Green ThinkerZ Association, India.

In 2018 and 2019 the VIT University announced Prof. Krishnan a Recipient of the Abdul Kalam Best Mentor Award to for carrying out Fast Track Research Initiatives twice in a row. Dr. Krishnan is a fellow of five organizations, FIIPE, FIE, CE(I), SLFISME, FIA Struct E, FSIESRP.

List of publications (Google Scholar)

Prof. Padmanabhan Krishnan has more than 270 publications in international journals, international conference proceedings, project documents and reports in the area of composite and nano-composite materials (their design, processing and fabrication, thermal issues in processing, materials characterization, electron microscopy, micro and meso-mechanics, interfaces, structure-property correlation, fracture mechanics and failure analysis, electronic packaging, smart materials and intelligent structures, thermo-mechanical reliability, hot-wet behavior of RP composites, composite structures, finite element modeling and analysis). He has also authored a textbook on Kevlar fiber composites, as well as many book chapters. He is currently engaged in a few contracts for books and chapters with international publishers of high repute. Prof. Krishnan has recently filed for three patents on metal-polymer composites, composite yazh and bio-polymer based polymer composite encapsulants for electronic packaging. He has organized and chaired sessions, and delivered lectures in many international and national conferences and workshops.

Prof. Padmanabhan Krishnan guided five PhDs, and is currently guiding many PhD Scholars. He is the Honorary President of the ISME and SIESRP for the years 2019-2020. In 2020 Prof. Padmanabhan has successfully completed the University of Cambridge Programme on Leadership.