The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, has appointed professor Sankaran Sundaresan as Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, citing the "global impact" of his research.

The honorary appointment formalizes a relationship between Sundaresan, Princeton's Norman John Sollenberger Professor in Engineering, and his undergraduate alma mater. In accepting the five-year appointment, Sundaresan hopes to establish deeper ties with IITM through a range of academic pursuits, including teaching and research opportunities.

In 2000, IITM honored Sundaresan with a Distinguished Alumnus Award. He was also previously appointed to a lifetime honorary position on the faculty of the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg, in Germany.

Sundaresan graduated from IITM with a degree in chemical engineering in 1976. He joined Princeton's faculty as an assistant professor in 1980, after completing his Ph.D. at the University of Houston that same year. He has since won numerous awards recognizing his work as a mentor and scholar. He was made a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 2008.