Prof. E. C. Subbarao Distinguished Lecture Series
Dr. Eleswarapu Chinna Subbarao earned his BSc in Glass Technology from Banaras Hindu University in 1949, and BS (1952) and MS (1954) degrees in Ceramic Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle. He completed his PhD in Ceramic Technology at Pennsylvania State University in 1957, with pioneering research on domain effects in ferroelectric ceramic barium titanate.
Dr. Subbarao began his professional career at Westinghouse Research Laboratories, Pittsburgh, where he worked from 1956 to 1963. He joined IIT Kanpur in 1963 as the founding Head of the Department of Metallurgical Engineering and later became the first Dean of Faculty. He played a key role in recruiting world-class faculty and advancing the institute's academic foundations. He also initiated the first conference on Materials Science Education in India in 1966 and established an interdisciplinary postgraduate programme in Materials Science at IIT Kanpur. Later, he served as the Founder-Director of the Tata Research Development and Design Centre, Tata Consultancy Services, Pune. .
In recognition of his contributions, the Prof. E.C. Subbarao Distinguished Lecture Series was instituted by Mr. R. Ram Kumar in the Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, IIT Kanpur.
Past Speaker
Dr. Enrique J. Laverni
Dr. Enrique J. Laverni spoke on "Exploring Mechanical Behavior of High-Entropy Alloys Across Temperature Extremes" On Feb 13th 2025. Prof. Enrique J. Lavernia, M. Katherine Banks Chair at Texas A&M University, is a renowned expert in Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering. A member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Inventors, he holds a Ph.D. from MIT. His research focuses on nanostructured and multi-scale materials. His numerous honors include the TMS Bruce Chalmers Award (2024), Acta Materialia Gold Medal (2020), and Humboldt Research Award (2016).
Prof. Akshay Kumar Jena
Prof. Akshay Kumar Jena spoke on the 'Fascinating Challenges of Healthcare for Engineering' on 10th March 2023. He is a distinguished teacher cum professor and researcher in the field of material science and engineering. He is a former professor and head of Material Science & Engineering IIT Kanpur. He received his B.sc degree from BHU India and D.I.C. from Imperial College of Science & Technology, U.K. and PhD degree from the University of London U.K.