Govind Rao
Professor and Chair, Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
Board of Regents Award for Excellence in Research

Govind Rao strikes a rare balance for any researcher. He is recognized as a great scholar in his field, but his work also makes significant contributions far beyond the academic world.

Rao’s research examines ways to improve sensors and instrumentation. His work has resulted in low-cost approaches that make many highly precise measurements available outside of a research laboratory setting. In one recent project, he developed high throughput bioprocessing techniques that could revolutionize the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. His work in this area could lead to the development of a massively parallel bioreactor system that could hasten the discovery and production of new drugs.

Since he arrived at UMBC in 1987, Rao has been awarded nearly $4.5 million in external funding from a variety of sources and has been honored several times by his peers. These honors include the 2001 Elmer Gaden Award, given for the most influential paper published in Biotechnology & Bioengineering, and his election as a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Rao was also recently recognized as one of twenty-five finalists for The Daily Record’s second annual “Innovator of the Year” award, which recognizes Maryland residents and companies who have introduced innovations that have had positive effects on their businesses, industries or communities.

“Dr. Rao is an exceptional faculty leader. He is an award-winning teacher, has performed truly outstandingly creative research, inspired students and built impressive collaborations with other USM institutions,” says Shlomo Carmi, Dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology.

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