“God must be a Chemical Engineer”

-Prof. G. D. Yadav
My respected professor says this as he believes that in today’s world, every field
of application of sciences involves chemical engineering someway or the other. In my
studies of past three and a half years in chemical engineering, I have had many occasions
to see this come true. My aspirations for mastery of the subject that has been built on
rigid principles of mathematics and sciences and yet displaying the versatility in
applications have impassioned me. In an endeavor to convert my four year tryst with the
subject into a life long association, I have an ambition to pursue a career in the field of
research and academics. This ambition has motivated me to apply for graduate studies in
chemical engineering.
I have always been a dreamer. But, I have fulfilled my dreams into pleasant
achievements...and that has made all the difference! Be it achieving a merit position in
my state board or being into top echelons of the students’ population, I secured a rank in
top 0.1% students amongst total students more than 100000 appearing for examination.
Therefore, I could become one of those privileged few to be selected on the all India
Merit into University Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India (formerly known
as UDCT). I have always believed in my abilities and my skills to lead my dreams, the
little seeds of intense ambition into desired outcome.
The course at UICT was mesmerizing and introduced me to constantly evolving,
expanding and rapidly spreading fields of chemical engineering. No edifice can withstand
a storm if its foundations are weak. Securing 65% overall and maintaining a good
academic record by getting first class in every semester with the help of well-rounded and
exacting undergraduate program has helped me to develop a solid background in
chemical engineering. Having grasped the fundamentals, now I want to specialize in area
of my interest by pursuing research.
I always have an attitude-‘scientific temper’ that nothing should be taken for
granted or accepted on the basis of blind faith. This bent of mind makes me think
scientifically, with logical reasoning (as opposed to superstitious belief) and induces a
passion to innovate. That is why research captivates me. My industrial training at ‘Asian
Paints’, a decorative and automotive paint industry served as the perfect opportunity to
get exposed to the concept of theory being put to practice. As a keen and enthusiastic
student, I was particularly fascinated with the ‘bioreactors’ in activated sludge process
for wastewater treatment of effluent. For the purpose of orienting my mind towards
quintessential research temperament, Dr. Rajan Sharma (Factory Manager-Environment,
health, Safety) provided me with a project to work on ‘bioreactors’ (optimization to
determine the MLSS concentration in the actual reactor). This intellectually stimulating
project gave me a valuable experience as it involved a combination of theory with
experimentation and fuelled a desire to pursue research.
In the curriculum, apart from theoretical lessons, the Chemical Engineering
laboratory course has further stimulated my interest for graduate studies. The emphasis in
the coursework has always been on reasoning why things do not always work the way we
think they ought to, a thought-provoking, at times painstaking yet thoroughly enjoyable
exercise. I have obtained an average of more than 75% in this course, a reflection of
problem solving approach which is indispensable for a researcher.
 My research interests at this point are quite diverse- reflecting the breadth of
research options available to a chemical engineer. As a Chemical Engineer, it is required
that I increase productivity with safety and eco-friendliness of the process. Catalysis and
Reaction Engineering is one keen area that teaches me how to achieve this. A seminar
under the guidance of Prof. S.B. Sawant on ‘Hydrogen Peroxide- as a clean oxidant’
was oriented on development of catalytic systems for oxidation of organic compounds.
The need of application of green chemistry towards catalysis is therefore one of my
areas of interest. Environmental Engineering is an area that has fascinated me with its
vast number of advantages. My work in Asian Paints on Bioreactors in Activated
Sludge Process (as mentioned before) has ignited a liking towards Pollution Remediation
and Waste Management.
The course in Biological Sciences in the second year of my undergraduate course
in UICT, accentuated my interest in biology. Here, I was introduced to a plethora of
concepts that form the realm of bioengineering in general, such as biochemistry, tissue
organization, human physiology, enzymology and biotechnology. In addition to this, a
literature survey on ‘Bioinformatics’ gave me an insight into genomics and proteomics.
An additional course in Biochemical Engineering in the last semester of undergraduate
studies will delve into the fundamental and detailed aspects of bio-reactor and
downstream separator design and cutting edge research in the areas of tissue engineering,
bio-sensors, genomics and recombinant DNA technology. My research interests reveal
that I have a penchant towards Environmental Biotechnology. Therefore, I will like to
work in Biotechnology/Bioservices Center (BBC) or Environmental Research
Institute (ERI) considering my interests being directed into those areas of research. Rests
Advanced Materials is another field that has great potential to create and develop
new materials with wide applications. The fact that today we have the knowledge and the
tools to create new materials that can change lives for the better has propelled me towards
research in this field. I have been working on a paper in last few months on
‘Nanotechnology-Emerging Technology of 21st Century’ which gives me fundamental
background for a research on advanced materials. As it stands right now, nanotechnology
owes a lot to the field of solid-state chemistry and polymer chemistry. 
A deep introspection has revealed my proclivity towards these fields of
knowledge where I know I have the potential to be a pioneer, a leader and have an
opportunity to lead the way into the unknown. I feel that the areas mentioned above will
provide with a marvelous opportunity to reflect the same. While I would love to pursue
research in these fields but I do not think that I will not be comfortable with other fields.
After all, they are all derivatives of a basic chemical engineering.
It seems pursuing a Ph.D. is an extremely demanding task, requiring significant
intellectual ability on the part of a researcher. My belief in my propensity towards
research has propelled me take the challenge. I am convinced that with my abilities and
application, I will be able to make a positive contribution to the ongoing research at
University of Connecticut. Ultimately, I aim to gain a faculty position at a university
and to continue my involvement in innovative research in the field by directly
encouraging the development of aspiring engineers, both in classroom and laboratory.