University of Illinois honors Pavan Hanumolu and Chandrasekhar Radhakrishnan for teaching excellence

Indian-origin engineering professors Pavan Kumar Hanumolu and Chandrasekhar Radhakrishnan have received the 2026 Ronald W. Pratt Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The university announced the recognition on Oct. 16. The departmental award honors exceptional undergraduate teaching based on nominations from current and former students, recommendations from faculty colleagues and support from graduates who have entered industry or advanced academic programs. Hanumolu is a professor and Intel Alumni Scholar in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He teaches electronic circuits, analog integrated circuit design and advanced very-large-scale integration courses. His research focuses on analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits, including energy-efficient systems and technologies supporting artificial intelligence, sensing and communications. He earned undergraduate degrees at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India, followed by a master’s degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a doctorate from Oregon State University. He joined the Illinois faculty after teaching at Oregon State.

Radhakrishnan is a teaching associate professor whose courses include digital signal processing, electronic circuits and laboratory-based engineering instruction. His research interests cover signal-processing methods for circuit design, bio-inspired algorithms, nanoscale computing architectures and in-memory systems. He earned an electrical engineering degree from Bangalore University in India before completing his graduate education at Pennsylvania State University. His earlier honors at Illinois include the George Anner Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award and the Rose Award for Teaching Excellence. Both professors described the new recognition as particularly meaningful because students helped drive the selection process. Hanumolu said teaching is the part of his work he values most. Radhakrishnan credited students, teaching assistants, graders and colleagues with strengthening his classroom experience. Their recognition highlights the role Indian-origin faculty members continue to play in educating American engineering students and preparing the next generation of circuit designers, researchers and technology leaders.

Key Takeaways About Pavan Hanumolu and Chandrasekhar Radhakrishnan

• Both received the 2026 Ronald W. Pratt Outstanding Teaching Award.
• They teach electrical and computer engineering at Illinois.
• Student nominations contribute to the award selection process.
• Both studied engineering in India before completing U.S. graduate degrees.
• Their work spans circuits, signal processing and advanced computing systems.

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