MK Padmanabhan
MU-VT Indian Professor in charge
director@vtindia.in
Dr. Myoor K. Padmanabhan (often referred to as “Paddu”) is the Professor In-Charge, VT India at MU-VT IARCT2. He is the Director of Virginia Tech India (VT India) Center for Research and Education, a not-for-profit entity registered under the Indian Companies Act, and the India arm of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). He has over 35 years of multifaceted experience spanning enterprise creation and management, education leadership, applied research, governance, and policy implementation.
As Director of Virginia Tech India (since 2016), Dr. Padmanabhan leads initiatives in advanced research, professional education, and interdisciplinary outreach, focusing on areas such as science, technology, and innovation to benefit both India and global communities.
Education
- He holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay).
Experience
- Director, Virginia Tech India Center for Research and Education (from 2016), leading research and education programs.
- Served (2010‒2016) in education management, including a 3-year term as Vice Chancellor (Pro Voce) of a large multidisciplinary university with departments in engineering, medical sciences, arts & sciences, and management.
- Founder of Plexion Technologies (2000–2010), a technology company focused on aerospace systems design and manufacturing, backed by JP Morgan; it was later acquired by a global conglomerate, and he continued as CEO for two years post-acquisition.
- Scientist/Engineer at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for nearly two decades. During this time, he was deputed to NASA (USA) for five years to serve as Project Manager of the Indo-US Spacelab 3 Program aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.
- Actively engaged in community development initiatives, including rural upliftment and collaborations with NGOs, Rotary and Lions clubs across India, Southeast Asia, and Japan. He is also a founding member of a Government of India skill training initiative.
Publications
- Favorable dynamics of switching and non-switching polarizations in [001]-oriented Sm:PMN-PT crystal
- Medical Cargo Delivery using Blockchain Enabled Unmanned Aircraft Systems – Conference paper (SAE Technical Papers, May 2022) – Focus: Application of blockchain and unmanned aircraft systems for medical supply logistics.
- Design and Development of Autonomous Amphibious Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for In-situ Water Quality Assessment and Water Sampling – Article (Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems, July 2021) – Focus: Development of a hybrid UAV/hovercraft platform for environmental sensing and sampling.
- Optimisation Studies for an Efficient Aerodynamic Configuration of a Blended Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle – Article (International Journal of Vehicle Structures and Systems, June 2021) – Focus: Aerodynamic optimization of UAV design.
- Structural Analysis and Optimization of Hybrid Unmanned Amphibian Aerial Vehicle – Article (International Journal of Vehicle Structures and Systems, June 2021) – Focus: Structural optimization and analysis for UAV applications.
- Water Body Survey, Inspection, and Monitoring Using Amphibious Hybrid Unmanned Aerial Vehicle – Article (SAE International Journal of Aerospace, February 2021) – Focus: Use of hybrid UAV systems for aerial water surveillance and monitoring.
At MU-VT IARCT2 and Virginia Tech India, Dr. Padmanabhan oversees and champions interdisciplinary research across several key research thrusts:
- Multifunctional and 2-D Materials
- Sustainable Energy and Water Technologies
- Bioinformatics and Biotechnology
- Aerospace Engineering
- Energy Harvesting and related advanced systems
These areas reflect MU-VT IARCT2 and Virginia Tech India’s mission to drive innovation and address challenges relevant to both India and the global scientific community. Research under his leadership often involves collaboration with faculty and research scientists in experimental and applied science domains.
