Pavan Kumar Hanumolu and Chandrasekhar Radhakrishnan, two Indian American professors in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, have received the 2026 Ronald W. Pratt Outstanding Teaching Award.
Hanumolu, a professor and Intel Alumni Scholar in electrical and computer engineering, Radhakrishnan, a teaching associate professor, received the award recognizing teaching excellence through nominations from current and former students.
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The selection process also considers recommendations from ECE faculty members, colleagues and former students who have pursued graduate studies or careers in the industry, according to the university announcement.
Hanumolu’s research focuses on analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits. He earned his doctorate from Oregon State University in 2006 and teaches courses in electronic circuits and analog integrated circuit design.
His recent courses have included ECE 342, Electronic Circuits; ECE 483, Analog IC Design; and ECE 581, Advanced Analog IC Design. His teaching portfolio also includes advanced VLSI system design and digitally assisted circuit design.
Hanumolu said the award was particularly meaningful because of its connection to student recognition. He described teaching as his foremost priority and said receiving acknowledgment from his students made the honor especially significant.
Radhakrishnan on the other hand, earned his doctorate in electrical engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 2011. His research interests include signal-processing techniques for circuit design, bio-inspired algorithms and circuit architectures for nanoscale integrated systems.
Additional research areas include statistical and adaptive signal processing, alternative number systems and the implementation of signal-processing and learning algorithms in in-memory architectures.
Radhakrishnan teaches courses in electrical and electronic circuits, digital signal processing and integrated circuit design. His recent teaching assignments have included ECE 205, Electrical and Electronic Circuits; ECE 310, Digital Signal Processing; ECE 342, Electronic Circuits; and ECE 498, CMOS IC Design.
The Pratt award is not Radhakrishnan’s first teaching honor. His previous recognitions include the George Anner Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award in 2019 and the Rose Award for Teaching Excellence in 2021.
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In his comments on the latest award, Radhakrishnan expressed appreciation for the students and colleagues with whom he has worked. He also credited teaching assistants, graders and administrative staff for their contributions to his teaching experience.
The two faculty members’ recognition reflects their work in different areas of electrical and computer engineering, alongside their responsibilities in teaching courses related to circuits, signal processing and integrated circuit design.