Subramaniam becomes chair of Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
In addition to his role as a mechanical engineering professor and as director of the Applied Physics Laboratory, Subramaniam is a decorated educator, researcher and inventor. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from Columbia University and his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Carnegie-Mellon University. He was a post-doctoral fellow at Ohio State before joining the Department of Mechanical and Engineering as an assistant professor in 1988, and the recipient of the prestigious Presidential Young Investigator Award (now known as the NSF CAREER Award) in 1991.
“Vish has articulated a compelling vision for the college’s largest department and has done so with energy and enthusiasm,” said Dean David B. Williams. “His multi-faceted prowess and stellar reputation as a collaborator will serve Ohio State Engineering superbly.”
Subramaniam’s research focuses on the interaction between low-frequency weak electromagnetic fields and tissues, cells and similar biological systems. Promising applications of this research include cancer detection and imaging, wound healing and bacterial biofilm mitigation.
In 2014, he earned a finalist slot in the Wexner Medical Center’s Big IDEAs for Health competition. He has developed an exciting new electromagnetic method that can help surgeons better discern surgical margins to excise cancerous tissue that cannot be seen or felt. His device uses mini electrical currents to distinguish between normal and diseased tissue, giving surgeons real-time knowledge of how much to remove.
Subramaniam also is a leading scholar in the areas of heat transfer, plasma dynamics and carbon nanotubes. In recognition of his research achievements, he was an IBM Faculty Awards recipient in 2014 and winner of the college’s Lumley Research Award in 1992. Subramaniam holds 2 patents, with several pending.
He is a two-time recipient of the college’s Charles E. MacQuigg Outstanding Teaching Award, as well as winner of the Harrison Faculty Award for Excellence in Engineering Education. During his time at Ohio State, Subramaniam also has served as invited professor at Ecole Centrale Paris and visiting professor at Ohio State’s College of Medicine.
