Dr. Prachi Thareja

Principal Investigator

Education Qualification
Post-Doc, University of Delaware
M.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh
PhD, Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Particles at Fluid-Fluid Interfaces
B.Tech, HBTI Kanpur

Courses at IIT Gandhinagar

  1. Advanced Thermodynamics (PG)
  2. Introduction to Thermodynamics (UG)
  3. Fluid Mechanics (UG)
  4. Colloidal Domain: Where Science Meets Engineering (UG & PG)

Honours (Medals, Fellowships, Prizes)

  1. Mechanically tunable adsorbent grapheme oxide gels, Poster presentation in the International Conference on Applied Surface Science, China, 12-15th June 2017, (received the SPECS prize for the best poster)
    Shortlisted for INAE Young Engineer Award, 2017
  2. Self-assembly and Rheology of Colloidal particles in Hexagonal and Nematic Liquid Crystals, Poster Presentation in Faraday Discussion-Nanoparticle Self-Assembly: From Fundamental to Applications, IIT Bombay, Mumbai, January 6-8, 2016. (received the Skinner’s prize for the best poster)
  3. Sunoco Chemical Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh, 2008
  4. Gold Medal for best academic performance, HBTI Kanpur, 2003

Invited lectures (outside the institute) and invited conference presentations

  1. Implications of Colloidal Self Assembly, External Fields on Suspension Rheology, Solvay Research & Innovation, Vadodara, 16th-17th March, 2017
  2. Influence of External Field on the Rheology of Fumed Alumina Suspensions, COMPFLU, Hyderabad, 12th-14th Dec 2016
  3. Rheology of Particles-in-Liquid Crystal Composites, Soft Matter Young Investigator Meeting, Goa, 16th-18th Dec 2016
  4. Lecture on Rheology in Short Term Training Programme (STTP) on Hands on Training on Multiscale Simulation in Advanced Materials Science & Technology (HTMSAMST-2016) during 14-24 July 2016.
  5. Self Assembly and Rheology of Colloidal Particles in Liquid Crystals, COMP FLU, IISER Pune, 2nd Jan 2016
  6. Soft matter and Scattering techniques TEQIP-II sponsored STTP on "Advanced Analytical techniques for Materials Characterization" (AATMC-2015) organized by SVNIT, 23-25th Feb 2015.
  7. Strategies for Interfacial Stabilization, International conference for Surface Science & Nanotechnology in Biomedical, Pharmaceutical & Engineering Systems, 10 — 12th December 2013, Dharmsinh Desai University, Nadiad
  8. Surfactant Self-Assembly, Invited talk in the Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, March 2012.
    Rheology, Microstructure and Stability of Crystallizing Fatty Acid Pastes, NCL Pune, August 16th 2012.
  9. Correlating Rheology and Microstructure to Stability of Crystallizing Fatty Acid Pastes, Vyome Biosciences, New Delhi, Oct 8th 2012.

Professional practice

  1. Session Chair for “Rheology” at COMFLU 2017 (Annual Conference of Indian Society of Rheology), IIT Madras, 2017
  2. Organizer, Rheology Workshop, IIT Gandhinagar, 2017
  3. Session Chair for “Self and Directed Assembly of Molecules and Particles –Delivery and Release” at 89th ACS Colloids Symposium 2015, Pittsburgh, USA
  4. Organizer of DST - PAC of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, 2016
  5. Professional Membership of Society of Rheology (SOR)
  6. I have been the reviewer for the following international journals and reviewed research articles and reviews from time to time.
    • Colloids and Surfaces A: Physiochemical and Engineering Aspects
    • Rheologica Acta
    • Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology
    • Asia Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering
    • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section A: Physical Sciences
    • Langmuir
    • Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science
  7. Institute Representative for GATE 2013 at Surat
  8. Institute Representative for JEE (advance) 2013 at Ahmedabad

Discipline committees and activites

  1. The discipline of Chemical Engineering, MTech and PhD admissions committee, 2012-current
  2. Discipline of Chemical Engineering, MTech Coordinator, 2012-current.
  3. The discipline of Chemical Engineering, BTech. (2011 batch) Faculty advisor, 2012-2014

Institute committees

  1. Co-Coordinator, Foundation Program 2012
  2. SSAC, Committee Member, August 2012- August 2013
  3. Institute level selection committee for technical staff, 2012 and 2013
  4. Selection Committee for Technical Staff, 2012, 2013
  5. Faculty-Student Interaction, Committee Member, May 2012-July2012

Professional and association offices and committee activity outside the institute

  1. PhD Thesis, External Examiner, Chemical Engineering, IIT Kanpur, 2017
  2. PhD Thesis, External Examiner, Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, 2017
  3. MTech Thesis, External Examiner, Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, 2016
  4. MTech, PhD Thesis progress reviewer, Chemical Engineering, G.T.U, 2015

Public and community contributions/outreach

  1. Fun with Complex Fluids Stall in Environment Day 2017
  2. Complex Fluids Stall in Science Day 2016
  3. IIT Gandhinagar-VGEC Club – Lecture/workshop on “World of Complex Fluids”, April 2015

Our Purring Team