University of Arizona’s Indian American President Suresh Garimella has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional distinctions awarded to engineers. He was recognized by the academy for “contributions to microscale heat and mass transport, academic leadership, and service to the nation.”
Garimella joins a distinguished group of engineers whose innovations and leadership have had profound impacts on research, industry and society. Members are selected by their peers for pioneering advancements in their fields – and for leadership in major engineering endeavors.
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“I am honored to have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering,” Garimella said. “It has been a privilege to serve the land-grant mission at Purdue, Vermont and now the University of Arizona. I am grateful to my students and collaborators on whose work this recognition rests, and to my sponsors and the institutions where I have worked for offering the support and environment for our impactful research.”
Garimella, who became the university’s 23rd president in October 2024, is also a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering.
Prior to joining the Arizona university , he served as president of the University of Vermont, where he spearheaded initiatives to expand research funding, enhance accessibility and elevate the university’s national standing as a top research institution. Earlier in his career, he was the Goodson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and executive vice president for research and partnerships at Purdue University.
A highly cited researcher in energy and thermal transport, Garimella has co-authored more than 625 research publications and holds 16 issued patents. He has mentored more than 200 undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, many of whom now hold prestigious faculty and research positions worldwide.
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Beyond academia, Garimella has contributed significantly to national and international science and policy initiatives. He has served as a member of the National Science Board and as a Jefferson Science Fellow and Senior Fellow in the U.S. Department of State’s Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas. He is also an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Garimella’s election to the academy places him among a group of engineers who have shaped their disciplines and advanced technological progress. He and 127 other newly elected U.S.-based and 22 international members of the 2025 class will be formally inducted during the academy’s annual meeting on Oct. 5.