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He joins from Arizona State University, where he most recently served as chief science officer for the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.
Sridhar Seetharaman, the chair of materials science and engineering department at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) / Courtesy: Missouri S&T
Missouri University of Science and Technology has appointed Indian-origin professor Sridhar Seetharaman as the chair of its materials science and engineering department.
The appointment takes effect in Jan. 2026 and comes as the institution seeks to strengthen its focus on sustainable manufacturing and advanced materials research.
“I have collaborated with Missouri S&T researchers for years and have always been impressed by the quality and impact of their work,” Seetharaman said. “It is an honor to now lead this department and support its world-class research efforts and degree programs.”
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David Borrok, vice provost and dean of the College of Engineering and Computing at Missouri S&T, said Seetharaman’s background would strengthen the department’s trajectory.
“His leadership and experience working at the intersection of academia, industry, and government will be a tremendous benefit as he works to bring our materials science and engineering department to even greater heights,” Borrok said.
Seetharaman’s research focuses on decarbonization and energy efficiency in industrial processes, particularly metals production. His work has contributed to strategies for reducing emissions and improving sustainability in large-scale manufacturing. He has authored more than 300 journal articles, conference papers, and book chapters, and he holds three U.S. patents.
His professional recognition includes the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Award, election as an international member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, and designation as a fellow and distinguished member of the Association of Iron and Steel Technology.
He also serves as a Mercator Fellow of the German Research Foundation, chairs the Manufacturing USA Council for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and sits on the Department of Energy’s Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee.
Seetharaman joins Missouri S&T from Arizona State University (ASU), where he most recently served as chief science officer for the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and chief executive officer of EPIXC, a $140 million public-private partnership under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute. Since 2023, he has also held the role of Fulton Professor of Industrial Decarbonization at ASU.
Before his recent roles at ASU, Seetharaman held senior academic and research leadership positions at the Colorado School of Mines between 2017 and 2021 and earlier faculty appointments at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Warwick. He has also worked as a senior technology advisor for the Department of Energy and held a joint faculty research appointment with the National Laboratory of the Rockies.
Seetharaman earned his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in the same field from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden.
