Shekhar Garde, Ph.D.

Shekhar Garde is dean of the School of Engineering at Rensselaer, and the Elaine S. and Jack S. Parker Chaired Professor in Engineering. In naming him a fellow, AAAS cited his “distinguished contributions to molecular-level understanding of water and hydrophobicity using modern theory and simulations, and for communicating science to children through the Molecularium Project.”

Garde is an expert in molecular theory and simulations of biomolecular and nanoscopic systems. He joined Rensselaer in 1999 and was appointed as the Parker Chaired Professor in 2006, named head of the Howard. P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering in 2007, and named dean of the School of Engineering in June 2014.

Garde is the author of 85 papers published in leading scientific journals, and his work has been cited more than 5,800 times. He has received several awards for his research, including an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. He is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Troy, N.Y. – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute today named Shekhar Garde as dean of the School of Engineering. The appointment is effective July 1.

Garde, the Elaine S. and Jack S. Parker Chaired Professor in Engineering at Rensselaer, has served since 2007 as head of the university’s Howard. P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE).

“Dr. Garde is a distinguished researcher, an exceptional educator, and a skilled leader,” said Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson. “He brings an exciting vision and tremendous enthusiasm to the role of dean of the School of Engineering, as we move forward toward the bicentennial of Rensselaer in 2024. The contributions and leadership of Dr. Garde will be pivotal as we continue to educate the technology leaders of tomorrow and pursue innovative and interdisciplinary research to address the most pressing challenges facing our world.”