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Cincinnati, OH
The University of Cincinnati observed mourning in loving memory of Raj M. Manglik, a professor in the University of Cincinnati’s Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, who died in August. He was 72.
Since 1991, Manglik was a valued member of the UC community. He was a pioneer in the field of heat transfer, his work leading to transformative contributions in literature surrounding the concept. His recent work included the development of a more efficient and sustainable method to cool power plants. Manglik and Milind Jog, PhD, head of UC’s Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, collaborated to develop an air-based cooling system, leading to the use of less water.
“I collaborated with Raj on many research projects. He was an excellent researcher who could identify patterns in data that others would miss. He did fundamental work and always had his eye toward practical applications of the results,” Jog said.
At the College of Engineering and Applied Science, Manglik served as the director of the Thermal-Fluids and Thermal Processing Laboratory. Earlier this year, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) selected him as an honorary member, making him one of less than 200 ASME members worldwide to receive this honor.
In addition to his significant scientific work, Manglik was a dedicated educator and mentor to hundreds of students throughout his academic career. He served as a faculty mentor for dozens of master’s and PhD candidates, supporting them throughout their UC journey.
In decades at UC, he generated nearly $10 million in research grants and published more than 260 archival papers and technical reports. A highly decorated scientist, Manglik was the recipient of the National Science Foundation’s inaugural CAREER Award in 1995, the ASME Heat Transfer Memorial Award, the Donald Q. Kern Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the University of Cincinnati Award for Faculty Excellence, and multiple Distinguished Research Awards from CEAS.
He earned his bachelor’s degree at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and later pursued graduate studies in the United States, completing his M.S. at Iowa State University and his PhD at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Before entering academia, he worked for seven years as a design engineer at Triveni Turbines Limited.
