The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has named Kripa K. Varanasi, an Indian American MIT professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, as a member of the 2025 class of NAI Fellows.
An Indian Institute of Technology Madras graduate, Varanasi is among nine MIT alumni awarded NAI fellowships, the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors for highly impactful inventions.
“NAI Fellows are a driving force within the innovation ecosystem, and their contributions across scientific disciplines are shaping the future of our world,” says Paul R. Sanberg, fellow and president of the National Academy of Inventors. “We are thrilled to welcome this year’s class of fellows to the academy.”
This year’s 169 U.S. fellows represent 127 universities, government agencies, and research institutions across 40 U.S. states. Together, the 2025 class hold more than 5,300 U.S. patents and include recipients of the Nobel Prize, the National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation, as well as members of the national academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, among others.
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Varanasi, professor of mechanical engineering, is widely recognized for his significant contributions in the field of interfacial science, thermal fluids, electrochemical systems, advanced materials, and manufacturing, according to an MIT release.
A member of the MIT faculty since 2009, he leads the interdisciplinary Varanasi Research Group, which focuses on understanding physico-chemical and biological phenomena at the interfaces of matter.
His group develops innovative surfaces, materials, devices, processes, and associated technologies that improve efficiency and performance across industries, including energy, decarbonization, life sciences, water, agriculture, transportation, and consumer products.
Varanasi has also scaled basic research into practical, market-ready technologies. He has co-founded six companies, including AgZen, Alsym Energy, CoFlo Medical, Dropwise, Infinite Cooling, and LiquiGlide, and his companies have been widely recognized for driving innovation across a range of industries.
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Throughout his career, Varanasi has been recognized for excellence in research and mentorship. Honors include the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, DARPA Young Faculty Award, SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award, ASME’s Bergles-Rohsenow Heat Transfer Award and Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award, Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, and MIT’s Frank E. Perkins Award for Excellence in Graduate Advising.
Varanasi earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and his master’s degree and PhD from MIT.
Prior to joining the faculty, he served as lead researcher and project leader at the GE Global Research Center, where he received multiple internal awards for innovation, leadership, and technical excellence . He was recently named faculty director of the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation.