Rajamani Gounder

Rajamani Gounder

Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering

Rajamani Gounder received his B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 2006 and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2011.

Grounder’s doctoral research focused on fundamental studies of hydrogen management in the catalytic conversion of petroleum and hydrocarbons on acidic zeolites. Before coming to Purdue, he was a postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology, where he researched catalytic routes and materials relevant in the conversion of renewable biomass and carbohydrates. At Purdue, he leads an experimental research group specializing in three main areas: the synthesis of inorganic catalysts with tailored properties, the characterization of catalyst active site and support structures, and the evaluation of catalytic function using fundamental kinetic and mechanistic descriptors. His research interests lie in applying these tools, and at the forefront of the science and technology of heterogeneous catalysis, as well as in relevant issues in fuel and chemical production, and environmental protection.