Electric innovator

The research of Professor Rohan Akolkar, PhD ’04, has resulted in new nano-materials and electrochemical fabrication processes. Those discoveries have in turn enabled production of high-performance microprocessors used in computers, cell phones and other electronics devices.

His success pushing the envelope in electrochemistry and electrochemical engineering has not gone unnoticed. In February, Akolkar was elected to the National Academy of Inventors as a Senior Member, recognizing him as one of the nation’s top young academic scientists.

A chemical engineer, Akolkar is the fourth CSE faculty member to be selected for the academy in the past year. He follows in the footsteps of Anant Madabhushi, the Donnell Institute Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Umut Gurkan, associate professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; and Scott Bruder, adjunct professor of Biomedical Engineering.

Dean Venkataramanan “Ragu” Balakrishnan said Akolkar’s election was well-deserved and enhances Case’s research reputation.

“His field-leading work in electrochemistry, his leadership at the Great Lakes Energy Institute, and the meaningful partnerships he has established with our national laboratories have helped to cement Case Western Reserve’s position as a leader in catalyzing breakthroughs in energy and sustainability,” the dean said.

Akolkar, the faculty director of the Great Lakes Energy Institute, earned his doctorate in chemical engineering from the Case School of Engineering and won numerous industry awards and patents during his eight-year tenure in research and development at Intel.