Faculty & Staff Profiles

Ganesh Balasubramanian, Ph.D.

Professor
Chair, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
Coordinator, B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Tagliatela College of Engineering

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Ganesh Balasubramanian

Education

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About Ganesh

Dr. Ganesh Balasubramanian is the chair of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and assumes the Lambrakis Professorship. He earned his BME in Mechanical Engineering (2007) from Jadavpur University, India, and his PhD in Engineering Mechanics (2011) from Virginia Tech. He previously held faculty appointments at Iowa State University and Lehigh University, and is a recipient of an NSF CAREER grant. He has received multiple awards for his teaching, research and mentorship activities, and his research in advanced materials and predictive manufacturing has been supported by the NSF, DOD and DOE.

Dr. Balasubramanian's specialties encompass robotics, mechanobiology, advanced manufacturing, structural materials, engineering design and measurements, operations research, systems engineering, and engineering management.

His research includes:

  • Spearheaded the acquisition of advanced infrastructure: 3D Metal Printer (leveraging corporate gift), a first for the University
  • Leading the Advanced Manufacturing initiative through promotion of specialized course offerings, engagement with regional small and medium manufacturers, and preparation of proposals for solicited calls from state and federal agencies

Awards and Honors

Selected recognitions (travel awards received as a graduate student not included for brevity)

  • Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2025
  • Libsch Early Career Research Award, Lehigh University, 2021
  • Rossin College Interdisciplinary Research Excellence Award, Lehigh University, 2021
  • Hind Rattan Award, NRI Welfare Society of India, 2021
  • Alfred Noble Robinson Faculty Award, Lehigh University, 2020
  • Hillman Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising, Lehigh University, 2020
  • Finalist, Rising Stars in Computational Materials Science, 2020
  • NSF CAREER Award, 2020
  • Faculty Mentor Appreciation, Lehigh University, 2019, 2020
  • Outstanding Reviewer Award, Acta journals, 2019
  • Ochs Award for Achievement in Entrepreneurial Education, Lehigh University, 2019
  • Creative Inquiry Faculty Fellow, Lehigh University, 2018-2019
  • McNair Faculty Mentor of the Year, Iowa State University, 2017
  • ASEE Outstanding New Mechanical Engineering Educator Award, 2016
  • AFRL Summer Faculty Fellow, 2015, 2016
  • Miller Faculty Fellow, Iowa State University, 2013-2014
  • Honorable Mention for 2011 Virginia Tech Outstanding Dissertation in Engineering,Science, Mathematics and Technology, 2012
  • Graduate Student Speaker, Virginia Tech Spring Graduate Commencement, 2011
  • Virginia Tech Graduate Man of the Year, 2011
  • Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, 2011
  • 1st place Oral Presentation Category, Virginia Tech Graduate Symposium, 2011
  • Liviu Librescu Memorial Scholarship, Virginia Tech, 2009–2010
  • Research & Development Award, Virginia Tech Graduate Student Assembly, 2009–2010
  • Pratt Presidential Fellowship, Virginia Tech, 2007-2008
  • M.P. Birla Smarak Kosh Award, South Point High School, Kolkata, India, 2007
  • Young Engineering Fellowship, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, 2006

Publications - Journal Articles

  • D. Adak, S. Roy and G Balasubramanian, “Process parameter optimization for predictive melt-pool morphology in laser powder bed fusion for Inconel 718”, The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, in press, 2025.
  • MB Akram, C Gilarno, K McCoy, S Osten, M Rumps, U Thota, D Campbell and G Balasubramanian, “Machine learned and explainable prediction of melt pressure and temperature for polypropylene extrusion”, Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, in press, 2025.
  • MSB Hoque, ER Hoglund, B Zhao, D Bao, H Zhou, S Thakur, E Osei-Agyemang, K Hattar, EA Scott, M Surendran, JA Tomko, JT Gaskins, K Aryana, S Makarem, A Alwen, A Hodge, G Balasubramanian, A Giri, T Feng, JA Hachtel, J Ravichandran, ST Pantelides and PE Hopkins, “Ruddlesden-Popper chalcogenides push the limit of mechanical stiffness and glass-like thermal conductivity in single crystals”, Nature Communications, in press, 2025.
  • P. Sharma, P. Singh and G. Balasubramanian, “Influence of isoelectronic mass modulation on phonon decay and transport in layered pnictogen-carbon systems”, Acta Materialia, in press, 2025.
  • T. Banerjee, M.B. Akram and G. Balasubramanian, “Predicting binding strength and dissociation kinetics of HIV-1 protease inhibitors Ritonavir, XK-263, and AHA-001 by molecular simulations”, Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modeling, in press.
  • T. Banerjee, K. Ji, W. Xia, G. Ouyang, T.D. Rose, I.Z. Hlova, B. Ueland, D.D. Johnson, G. Balasubramanian and P. Singh, “Machine-learning and first-principles investigation of lightweight medium-entropy alloys for hydrogen-storage applications”, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, in press, 2025.
  • S.H. Abir, S. Sharma, P. Sharma, S. Karla, G. Balasubramanian, S. Johnson and N. Koratkar, “Predicting ultimate tensile strength of SiC/SiC mini-composites via machine learning”, Ceramics International, in press, 2025.
  • P. Sharma, W.C. Tucker and G. Balasubramanian, “Optimal interplay of charge localization, lattice dynamics and slip systems drives structural softening in dilute W alloys with Re additives”, International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials, 128, 107086, 2025.
  • T. Banerjee and G. Balasubramanian, “Hydrogen diffusion induced dislocation transformations in a nickel superalloy”, Fuel, 384, 134064, 2025.
  • S.H. Abir, S. Sharma, P. Sharma, S. Karla, G. Balasubramanian, S. Johnson and N. Koratkar, “Piezoelectricity in chalcogenide perovskites”, Nature Communications, 15, 5768, 2024.
  • W. Jin, P. Sharma, A.Kundu, P. Singh, G. Balasubramanian and H.M. Chan, “Solid state reduction driven synthesis of Mn containing multi-principal component alloys”, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 55, 3799-3808, 2024.
  • P. Singh, C. Acemi, A. Kuchibhotla, B. Vela, P. Sharma, W. Zhang, P. Mason, G. Balasubramanian, I. Karaman, R. Arroyave, M.C. Hipwell, D.D. Johnson, “Alloying effects on the transport properties of refractory high-entropy alloys", Acta Materialia, 276, 120032, 2024.
  • P. Sharma, P.M. Gandhi, K.-L. Chintersingh, M. Schoenitz, E.L. Dreizin, S.-C. Liou and G. Balasubramanian, “Accelerated intermetallic phase amorphization in a Mgbased high-entropy alloy powder", Journal of Magnesium and Alloys, 12(5), 1792-1798, 2024.
  • L. Kim, W.R. Scougale, P. Sharma, N. Shiratto, S. Wieghold, V. Rose, W. Chen, G. Balasubramanian and T-Y. Chien, “Distinguishing elements at the sub-nanometer scale on the surface of a high entropy alloy", Advanced Materials, 36 (28), 2470221, 2024.
  • P. Sharma, D.D. Johnson, G. Balasubramanian and P. Singh, “Unraveling the connection of electronic and phononic structure with mechanical properties of commercial AZ80 alloy”, Materials Letters, 366, 136501, 2024.
  • P. Sharma, P. Singh and G. Balasubramanian, “Engineering phonon transport through cation disorder in dimensionally constricted high entropy MXene”, Carbon, 223, 119015, 2024.
  • P. Sharma, C. Das, P. Sreeramagiri and G. Balasubramanian, “Additively manufactured lightweight and hard high-entropy alloys by thermally activated solvent extraction”, High Entropy Alloys and Materials, 2, 41-47, 2024.
  • Jhalak, G. Balasubramanian and P.K. Ray, “Effect of Hf and Al on self-diffusion in amorphous silica using molecular dynamics”, JOM, 76, 941-950, 2024.

Patents (Provisional)

  • G. Balasubramanian, P. Sharma, C. Das, P. Sreeramagiri, “Thermal Solvent Extraction Additive Manufacturing Method for Porous Multi-Principal Element Alloy”, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/408,664, September 21, 2022.
  • I. Roy and G. Balasubramanian, “Rapid Site-Specific Gas Leak Detection Diagnostics Using Visible Optics”, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/070,912, August 27, 2020.
  • J.M. Rickman, M.P. Harmer, G. Balasubramanian, H.M. Chan, J.A. Smeltzer, C.J. Marvel and A. Roy, “Materials Informatics for the Screening of Multi-Principal Elements and High-Entropy Alloys”, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/036,553, June 9, 2020.

Books, Chapters, Commentaries, Technical Writings and Periodicals

  • J. Munshi, I. Roy and G. Balasubramanian, “Spatiotemporal dynamics in demographysensitive disease transmission: COVID-19 spread in NY as a case study”, arXiv preprint, 2020 (arXiv:2005.01001).
  • G. Balasubramanian, feature article “Cuckoo Search: Using Evolutionary Algorithms to Optimise Materials”, Publisher: Scientia, 2018 (DOI: 10.26320/SCIENTIA91).
  • G. Balasubramanian, editor “Advances in Nanomaterials: Fundamentals, Properties and Applications”, Publisher: Springer, 2018 (ISBN: 978-3-319-64715-9).
  • O. Sanchez, J-M. Kim and G. Balasubramanian, “Graphene analogous elemental van der Waals structures” in Advances in Nanomaterials: Fundamentals, Properties and Applications, Editor: Ganesh Balasubramanian, Publisher: Springer, 2018 (ISBN: 978-3-319-64715-9).
  • G. Balasubramanian, “Mechanics of thermal transport in mass-disordered nanostructures” in Advanced Computational Nanomechanics, Editor: Nuno Silvestre, Publisher: Wiley, 2016 (ISBN: 978-1-119-06893-8).
  • G. Balasubramanian, “Review of Nanoelectronic Devices by Byung-Gook Park, Sung Woo Huang and Young June Park”, Journal of Nanotechnology in Engineering and Medicine, 4(1), 016501, 2013.
  • B. Ganesh, “Application of scaling group of transformations to the flow of a secondgrade viscoelastic fluid above a moving plate”, Review Bulletin of the Calcutta Mathematical Society, 14(2), 189-194, 2006.

Invited Talks

  • “The Order in Disorder: Structural properties of multi-principal element alloys”, University of Wyoming, April 23, 2025.
  • “Predictive manufacturing of advanced materials”, University of New Haven, April 15, 2024.
  • “Printing compositionally complex alloys”, Arizona State University, February 5, 2024.
  • “Predictive manufacturing of advanced materials”, Rowan University, December 19, 2023.
  • “Predictive manufacturing of multi-principal element alloys”, Syracuse University, November 17, 2023.
  • “Predict | Build | Test | Repeat”, University of Delaware, February 23, 2023.
  • “Predict | Build | Test | Repeat”, Raytheon Technology Research Center, December 5, 2022.
  • “Data-guided engineering of compositionally complex alloys”, Pacific Northwest National Lab, July 18, 2022.
  • “Data-enabled manufacturing of high-entropy alloys for cryocoolers”, PA Manufacturing Innovation, June 15, 2022.
  • “Predictive engineering of multi-principal element alloys”, Air Force Research Lab, May 10, 2022.
  • “Data-enabled Additive Manufacturing of High-entropy Alloys”, MS&T 2021, October 20, 2021.
  • “Predict | Build | Test | Repeat”, NASA Ames Research Center, August 17, 2021.
  • “Predicting material features of multi-principal element alloys for superior structural properties”, Indian Institute of Technology at Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India, October 5, 2020.

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