Vikrant N.

Urade
Final Year Chemical Engineering
University Inst. of Chemical Technology
University of Mumbai
Mumbai

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

It is with great dreams and visions that I am standing at a major milestone in my life. The
contributions made towards the attainment of the technological and scientific glory by the
innumerable members of the scientific community who have toiled in the laboratories and
workplaces can never be understated. It has been my deepest desire to be a part of this rapidly
burgeoning community. My inclination towards basic sciences and the versatility of chemical
engineering made me select this line of engineering.

My Perception of Chemical Engineering:

The versatility of Chemical Engineering is evident by the varied fields that it encompasses:
Chemical Reaction Engineering, Process Control and Simulation, Unit Operations, Chemical
Engineering Thermodynamics, Momentum Transfer, Heat and Mass Transfer and their treatment in
unison, and Biochemical Engineering, the field that has received more attention recently.
During my study at UICT, I have been fascinated by such varied facets of Chemical
Engineering. This period has instilled in me a sense of keen engineering judgement and has taught
to me that engineering is science put to practice. My experience in Chemical Engineering
Laboratory along with the close interaction with the professors and postgraduate students has
enlightened my nascent engineering mind. The computer programming laboratory in UICT has
taught us the mathematical and subsequent computer modeling of chemical processes and
simulation using the latest software tools and packages, which have become an integral part of
modern scientific research carried out at UICT. My teachers have laid a very strong foundation for
further studies in chemical engineering and allied fields. The strong base that I have acquired over
the years at UICT will help me tune myself to take up a Ph.D. degree.

Undergraduate Achievements:
I have maintained an excellent and consistent academic record throughout my career, which
reflects in my performance in various examinations conducted at UICT as well at the school level.
At the school level, I appeared for various examinations apart from the usual curricular
examinations and came out with flying colors in almost all of them. To give some examples, I
scored 282/300 in the Middle School Scholarship Examination conducted in the seventh grade by

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the Maharashtra State Government. This performance brought me the second rank in the entire
state of Maharashtra, among about 100,000 students. Similarly, I ranked third in the state of
Maharashtra in Maharashtra Talent Search Examination (MTSE). The culmination of all my
efforts came through my success in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Examination, in which
I scored 700/750 and stood third in Pune Divisional Board among some 200,000 students. In
Higher Secondary School Certificate Examination, I scored 564/600 and stood first in the science
stream in Pune Divisional Board among 50,000 students. It was a really great honor for me.
And again at UICT I came out with flying colors. I stood first in the class in first semester
of the first year and again second semester of the second year. After six semesters, I now stand
fourth in the class. I stood second in the class in the seventh semester examination.
After the second year of chemical engineering, I received an opportunity to do under-
graduate research work under Dr. V.V. Ranade of the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune. I was
really ecstatic and the feeling that I could do something innovative filled me never ending
confidence. I made strong efforts and worked continuously for six weeks to complete the research
project on Computational Fluid Dynamics-the CFD model of gas-liquid two phase bubble columns
under the Eulerian-Lagrangian framework. I learned a lot under the guidance of Dr. Ranade. My
impatient efforts at programming at the beginning turned into patient thinking and properly
oriented efforts under his guidance.
I have participated in various competitions and quizzes conducted by various organizations
and engineering institutes. In CHEMFUSION’2000, an annual event conducted by the Indian
Institute of Chemical Engineers (IIChE), I participated in Mathematical Modeling Contest and
received the second prize amongst candidates from six engineering colleges in Mumbai University.
Again in CHEMFUSION’2001, I received the first prize in Chemical Engineering Quiz, in the
preliminary rounds of which I was able to score the highest marks amongst candidates from all
engineering colleges in Mumbai University. I have also presented seminars on various occasions,
and acquired knowledge of methodical literature searching and learning, assimilating information
on your own. I also learnt presentation skills and stage daring by presenting the seminars. This
became evident when I received the prize for being the second best individual presenter in the class
for the seminar presented on the topic of ‘Mesoporous Catalysis’. The seminars were conducted by
Prof. G.D. Yadav of Chemical Engineering Department at UICT.
It was a moment of great joy and honour for me when I was made an advance offer of
admission by Prof. Doraiswami Ramakrishna of Purdue University in July itself. The habits that I
have cultivated during my stay at UICT will help me in my research work at Purdue University.

Why Graduate Studies in the USA:

The USA has a plethora of choices as far as academics is concerned. Students have the
freedom to pursue their actual dreams. The infrastructure in USA helps a research student to
explore each and every aspect of his or her research work. The innovative methods of imparting

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quality education bring out that latent potential in you. The sheer number of experienced teachers
available for a student makes learning an unforgettable experience. I want to take advantage of such
opportunities in my further studies. The research in US universities is industry-oriented and meant
for commercializing. This provides me an excellent platform to use my knowledge to cater to the
needs of the mankind. The other reason deals with my overall personality development. The very
idea of living miles away from home in a totally alien culture and interacting with people from
diverse backgrounds and nationalities for achieving a common goal is stimulating and challenging
for me.

Why Purdue University:

The excellent research facilities, the dedicated and distinguished faculty and the
intellectually stimulating environment at the Purdue University make this university a natural and
logical choice for me. The range of my research interests and the research being carried out in
Purdue University are a perfect match. I am interested in Process Systems Engineering, which deals
with the development and application of computer-based methodology towards the successful
solution of problems in design, operation, and control. The separation processes is probably the
most important field in Chemical Engineering and recently the new biotechnology-based processes
have been developed, which have invoked great interest in me. Biochemical engineering has
received considerable attention in recent years as one of the new thrusts of the chemical
engineering profession, and is heartening to know that it has been an area of active research in
Purdue University for well over three decades. The topics like Artificial Intelligence, Neural
Networking are very fascinating and the thrust in Purdue University on the application of the
advances in computer technology in solving Chemical Engineering problems is suited to my
interests in both chemical engineering and computer programming.

Professional Aspirations:
After completing my Ph.D., I would like to return to India and work in Research Institutes
of repute like National Chemical Laboratory (NCL, where I have undergone my undergraduate
research); Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) etc. I am also open to the idea of gaining
some industrial experience by taking up a job in the R&D department of some organization in
India. By working at the interface of industry and research, I think, I will be able to apply my
knowledge practically. I hope I will learn in the right direction to harness my aptitude and explore
new horizons. The experiences that I will gain during the course of my study at Purdue University
will certainly enrich me and take me a step closer to my dream of becoming a professional
chemical engineer and serving the country better.
I promise to work with perseverance and diligence and I am sure that I will be able to put
my best efforts to make a constructive contribution to the field of chemical engineering.

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