The AE alumnus is among the 124 newest members of the prestigious academy

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) announced this week that Georgia Tech alumnus Raman (R.I.) Sujith, MSAE 1990, Ph.D. AE 1994, has been elected to the prestigious organization, joining more than 2,420 U.S. members and 319 international members worldwide. Sujith and his fellow nominees will be officially inducted during NAE’s annual meeting on October 1, 2023.

Sujith currently serves as chair professor in aerospace engineering at Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India (IIT Madras). In its announcement, the NAE is recognizing him for “applications of dynamical systems theory to the understanding and control of instabilities in engineering systems.”

“It is beyond my wildest dreams!” said Sujith. “NAE fellowship is perhaps the highest honor an engineer can dream of. It means being recognized and valued by the best. Being elected as a fellow of NAE enthuses and energizes me to be established firmly in these values inculcated by Georgia Tech and work even harder.”

Sujith grew up in Thiruvananthapuram, India, near the Indian Space Research Organization. He remembers watching many sounding rocket launches from his home terrace. As he grew older, his fascination and curiosity of aerospace led him to pursue his undergraduate degree at IIT Madras. He first heard about Georgia Tech’s Aerospace Engineering School when he read Space by James Michener. The book featured a fictional character named Stanley Mott who - like Sujith – became an aerospace engineer and had the determination to make an impact in space exploration.  

As a doctoral student, Sujith conducted experimental and theorical research on the behavior of droplets in acoustic fields and developed analytical modelling and numerical simulations. “I had the great fortune to interact with many of the heroes from the aerospace program including Prof. Ben Zinn, Prof. Warren Strahle and Prof. Ed Price, about whom I had heard about. Also, many of the professors I had at Georgia Tech, Prof. Lakshmi Sankar, Prof. J.V.R. Prasad, Prof. Narayanan Komerath are from IIT Madras. I had heard a lot about their success too. So, when I eventually got here, it was a dream come true,” he said.  

The new NAE member calls Georgia Tech his “second home” and has remained very close to the professors and program. He recalled celebrating Zinn’s 85th birthday in 2022, welcoming AE professor Tim Lieuwen’s family to Chennai, India, and teaching an AE course in 2017.

­­Sujith credits Georgia Tech with instilling a “can-do attitude” that he now passes along to his students. “Georgia Tech taught me to tackle problems and find solutions. It taught me diverse skills, drew me out of my shell, and taught me how to communicate effectively.”

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Raman RI Sujith

Raman (RI) Sujith

About NAE:
Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature" and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education."

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) Chair Mark Prausnitz and the College of Engineering’s external advisory board member Thomas Prete were also elected in to the NAE’s Class of 2023.

To see the full list of honorees, visit the NAE website.