Indian-origin Dr Ganesh Thakur to lead top scientists in Texas

National Briefs US

An Indian-origin professor has been appointed as the vice president of the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science, and Technology (TAMEST), an organization that brings the state’s top scientists and researchers to advance research, innovation, and business in Texas. 

The TAMEST board of directors on Tuesday appointed Dr. Thakur, a Distinguished Professor of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Houston (UH), vice president alongside Brendan Lee, who will serve as the president. 

Originally from Jharkhand, Dr. Thakur is the first UH faculty member to lead TAMEST. 

During his two-year term as vice president, he will help coordinate and guide the board of directors with strategic planning, programs, and communication. 

He will eventually be named the president of the organization in 2025. 

“Texas is home to some of the most brilliant minds in the world, and I’m honored and excited by this opportunity to strengthen collaboration and advance innovation across the state in fields critical to our continued growth and development,” said Dr. Thakur, who has been a member of the organization since 2016, most recently serving as treasurer. 

“TAMEST is a scientific and biomedical intellectual engine for the state, and I am passionate about its mission to benefit public good and business,” he added. 

A member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Inventors, Dr Thakur is a globally recognized pioneer in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS). His patent on forecasting the performance of water injection and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) using a hybrid analytical-empirical methodology provided a much faster approach that served as an alternative to more time-consuming reservoir simulation.