Chairperson, Professor - Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
Srinivas Palanki joined WVU in 2021. Before coming to WVU, Palanki was at Lamar University from 2015 to 2021 where he served as dean of engineering and associate provost for research. Prior to that, he was the chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of South Alabama from 2007 to 2015. He started his academic career at Florida State University where he went through the ranks of assistant, associate and full professor from 1992 to 2006.
His research focuses on the application of systems engineering tools to problems in engineering and biology. HIs research group has made theoretical contributions to real-time optimization of finite-time processes, nonlinear robust control and modeling of nonlinear processes. Experimental applications include implementation of systems engineering tools to a pilot-scale fluidized bed hydrochlorination reactor (Mitsubishi Polysilicon), polymerization reactors (Honeywell), lab-in-a-chip (Applied Liquid Logic), protection against UV-induced skin carcinogenesis (Mitchell Cancer Institute), improvement in baffle-making process (Metalforms), and optimization of methanol production (Natgasoline).
His Erdos number is 5 (Erdos->Rosenfeld->Feintuch->Tannenbaum->Cockburn->Palanki).
Education
Ph.D. (ChE), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1992
M.S. (ChE), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1987
B.Tech (ChE), Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, 1986