McCormick Builds Relationships in India

McCormick Dean Julio M. Ottino and members of the McCormick community recently traveled to India, a nation with a strong and growing footprint in the engineering sector. The visit was part of McCormick’s ongoing effort to engage with its global base of alumni and friends.

The trip began with a visit to IIT Bombay, one of the premier engineering and technology institutions in the country. Ottino represented Northwestern for the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions, paving the way for future collaborations.

“We are excited to pursue more interaction with our colleagues in India,” Ottino said. “Global relationships like these benefit both faculty in pursuit of excellent research and students who are seeking to broaden their education.”

Ottino was also invited to give the TechniGraphicS Lecture at IIT. His presentation, “Creativity in Art, Technology, and Science,” explored the confluences between art, science, and technology. “The most interesting things are happening at the intersection of domains,” he said.

The visit to IIT Bombay also included a personal connection for Ottino. Devang Khakhar, director of IIT Bombay, was a PhD student under Ottino during his time at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1980s. Khakhar introduced Ottino’s talk with a moving tribute to his former professor.

Also representing McCormick on the trip was Vinayak Dravid, McCormick’s coordinator of global outreach and Abraham Harris Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Kyle Delaney, director of marketing and communications. Northwestern University trustee Bhadrashyam Kothari and the NU Club of India played host to the McCormick visitors.

During their stay, Ottino, Kothari, and Dravid hosted a reception for Northwestern alumni in India and met with several corporate leaders to explore partnerships.