Who is Preeti Aghalayam? IIT Madras alumna’s journey from student to first woman IIT director

Preeti Aghalayam’s journey with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has come full circle. From entering the institute as a chemical engineering student in 1991 to becoming the first woman to lead an IIT, Aghalayam’s career spans education, research, teaching and international academic leadership, according to India Today.

From student to academic

Aghalayam joined IIT Madras in 1991 to pursue a BTech in Chemical Engineering and graduated in 1995. Her batch reflected the gender imbalance prevalent in engineering education at the time. She later moved to the US for higher studies, completing an MS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rochester in 1995 and a PhD from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2000. She subsequently worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

READ THIS: Who is Mandeep K Bhandari? Meet the new CBSE chairman with 25 years of administrative experience

Her academic career in India began at IIT Bombay, where she joined the Chemical Engineering department as faculty. In 2010, she returned to IIT Madras, this time as a professor. Over the years, her work has covered several areas of chemical engineering, including underground coal gasification, reactor modelling, reduction of automotive nitrogen oxide emissions and reaction mechanisms.

Her research and academic contributions have also earned recognition from institutions including the Indian National Academy of Engineering and the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Historic appointment in Zanzibar

A major milestone came in 2023 when Aghalayam was appointed Director-in-Charge of IIT Madras Zanzibar, the institute’s first international campus in Tanzania. The appointment made her the first woman to lead an IIT.

The Zanzibar campus began classes in October 2023, with its initial programmes including Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. Its first cohort included students from Zanzibar, mainland Tanzania, India and Nepal. IIT Madras records show that the inaugural batch had 28 students in the BS programme and 17 in the MTech programme.

ALSO READ: Meet Abhay Karandikar: From IIT professor to NITI Aayog member & the researcher behind India’s 5G and 6G journey

Aghalayam’s role involved helping establish the new campus and support its academic operations in an international environment. The appointment also marked a significant moment in IIT Madras’ expansion beyond India.

Continuing her global engagement role

Following her tenure at IIT Madras Zanzibar, Aghalayam took on the role of Dean of the Office of Global Engagement at IIT Madras. The institute’s current website lists her as former Director-in-Charge of IIT Madras Zanzibar and Dean of Global Engagement.