The Indian Institute of Technology Madras has launched the ‘Surendra and Dorothie Shah Chair' to conduct detailed research on sustainable construction in the field of civil engineering. This chair has been set up in the institution in view of the increasing expenditure of construction works and with an aim to make it more sustainable. The chair has been established by professor Surendra P Shah who currently serves as the Presidential Distinguished Professor, University of Texas.
The chair will primarily focus on research aspects which include materials, structural design for technologies for construction or infrastructural development.
Talking about the distinguished features of the chair, professor Surendra P Shah said, “In the US, we are trying to get more women into STEM. In the IIT Madras Research Group, a large number of PhD students are women, which is very impressive. Also, I believe that successful groups must be interdisciplinary, and I know that the Research Group of IIT Madras is also associated with researchers in Chemistry, Material Sciences and Mechanical Engineering. One of the developments for which IIT Madras is nationally known is 3D Printing with concrete, which is the result of collaboration among Materials, Automation and Construction Management faculty.”
Mr Shah added, “I am looking forward to continuing involvement with the IIT Madras Research Group. It is rightly poised for facing challenges of not only India and the US but global problems. The Group has already started to work on reducing carbon footprint, which affects the whole world.”
Professor Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras announced professor K Ramamurthy, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, as the first occupant of the ‘Surendra and Dorothie Shah Chair,' and said, “professor Ramamurthy has been a mentor for countless students not just in civil engineering but from all parts of the Institute. It is only fit that he is the first occupant of this Chair. We look forward to the continued association of Professor Surendra P Shah and Mrs Dorothie Shah with IIT Madras...We are honoured to have Professor Surendra P Shah as our Distinguished Professor.”
