By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun/Roorkee, 3 Oct: Prof KK Pant, the newly appointed Director at IIT Roorkee, is widely acknowledged as a top scientist at the global level in the field of chemical engineering. He has also served as the Dean, Faculty, at IIT Delhi in the past. An alumnus of IIT Kanpur, he has a long illustrious career spanning over 30 years. He is well recognised globally for his contribution to industrial research and academics. He has brought laurels to Uttarakhand for his achievements in the field of chemical engineering.
Dr Pant has been working on multiple technologies of national and international importance including coal to methanol conversion, e-waste and plastic management, hydrogen generation, CO2 capture and conversion, biomass valorisation and catalysis and reaction engineering. He has to his credit over 220 publications with over 11,746 citations and numerous patents. He has also completed over 50 high impact projects and consulted on projects of over Rs 1.02 billion for private institutions as well as Government of India.
Speaking to Garhwal Post, Prof Pant said that his priorities as Director, IIT Roorkee, would be to work for excellence and towards improvement in ranking of IIT-R. He added that the vacancies would be filled up soon by recruitment of faculty and staff.
He would also make the effort to motivate faculty members to work in line with government policies and for ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’. He would also work towards promoting ‘Make in India’ and encourage setting up more start-ups in the campus.
Appreciating the New Education Policy, he added that he would also work towards its effective implementation, promote the traditional knowledge system and connect science and technology with social reform and restructuring higher education.
Pant is currently Petrotech (FIPI) Chair Professor, Adjunct Faculty at University of Saskatchewan in Canada, Joint Faculty at CRDT, IIT Delhi, and Honorary Faculty at University of Queensland in Australia. Recently, his name featured in the top 2 percent scientists worldwide in the field of chemical engineering in a study by Oxford University.
Prof Pant has also been twice conferred the prestigious Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) award, besides several other honours such as CHEMCON distinguished speaker award, Herdilia Award by Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, thrice with Dr A V Rama Rao award for best PhD supervision.
He is a former college mate of SC Nautiyal, Director, Industries, Government of Uttarakhand. Nautiyal has congratulated Prof Pant on being appointed as Director, IIT Roorkee, and wished him a great time there.
