Pradipta Panigrahi is a professor and head of the Centre for Laser Technology, IIT Kanpur. He obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University, USA, in 1997. He was awarded a master degree at Louisiana State University in mechanical engineering in 1993 and another master in system science in the same institution in 1997. He obtained his B.Sc degree in echanical engineering at UCE Burla, Sambalpur University, India.  His areas of interest include optical techniques, turbulence, hot wire anemometry, Color Schlieren and design of thermal systems. He has published over 100 international journals, books and conference proceedings on a range of subjects including digital holography, particle image velocimetry, laser interferometry, liquid crystal thermography and soft computing based flow control. He was awarded the Swarnajayanti Fellowship by the Department of Science and Technology (India) in 2006. In 1981, Dr. Panigrahi was awarded the National Scholarship.