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UC Berkeley honors Kranthi K. Mandadapu with top teaching award
An assistant professor in the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering, Mandadapu is known for his rigorous yet supportive teaching approach.
Kranthi K. Mandadapu / UC Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley has conferred its highest honor for teaching excellence, the 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award, on Indian American professor Kranthi K. Mandadapu.
The award recognizes his commitment to student learning and innovative instruction in chemical and biomolecular engineering. The Academic Senate’s Committee on Teaching, which announced the selection highlighted his ability to foster independent thinking and create an engaging classroom environment.
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Currently an assistant professor in the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering, Mandadapu joined the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering (CBE) at UC Berkeley in 2015. He teaches courses on thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and continuum mechanics, integrating mathematical modeling and physical principles into his instruction.
“It is my belief that teaching, in essence, is a two-way process. The inspiration to be a teacher comes from the enthusiasm and curiosity of students, and the inspiration to learn comes from the enthusiasm of the teacher,” Mandadapu said.
Mandadapu’s research focuses on theoretical and computational modeling of materials, particularly in biological membranes, active matter, and amorphous systems. His work applies principles of statistical mechanics, continuum mechanics, and fluid and solid mechanics to understand emergent behaviors across different length and time scales.
Before joining the faculty, Mandadapu was a postdoctoral scholar in UC Berkeley’s department of chemistry, collaborating with David Chandler and George Oster on theoretical studies of soft and biological systems. He also conducted postdoctoral research at Sandia National Laboratories, working on multiscale modeling of materials.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, in 2005, followed by a master’s and doctorate in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley in 2007 and 2011, respectively.
The award has been presented since 1957 to recognize outstanding instructors who significantly impact student learning. The 2025 honorees will be celebrated at a ceremony on April 23 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center’s West Pauley Ballroom.
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