Bhavik Bakshi

Bhavik Bakshi received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a minor in technology and environmental policy. Currently, he is a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and civil environmental and geodetic engineering at The Ohio State University (OSU). He is also the research director of the Center for Resilience at OSU and a visiting professor at IIT, Bombay. From 2010 to 2012, he was the vice chancellor of TERI University in New Delhi, India. He has published more than 100 articles in areas such as process systems engineering, sustainability, science, and engineering.

Professor Bakshi’s research is developing systematic and scientifically rigorous methods for improving the sustainability and efficiency of engineering activities. This includes new methods for analyzing the life cycle of existing and emerging technologies and for the design of sustainable chemical processes and supply chains. A major focus of his research is on understanding and including the role of ecosystem services in industrial activities. This has resulted in the approach of ecologically-based LCA, which is available at http://resilience.osu.edu/ecolca. He continues to develop new analytic and design methods based on considering synergies and trade-offs between technological and ecological systems. Application of this techno-ecological synergy approach to biofuel life cycles and design of sustainable habitats demonstrates the challenges and opportunities of engineering within ecological constraints as a path toward sustainability.