Fifty years ago, Mamata Mukhopadhyay became the first woman to graduate with a chemical engineering PhD from Ohio State. Since graduating in 1969, she became an assistant professor then eventually faculty emeritus at IIT Bombay in the Department of Chemical Engineering teaching thermodynamics, supercritical fluid extraction technology, processing with supercritical fluids, production of nanoparticles, food process engineering and cryogenics. Mukhopadhyay also wrote Natural Extracts Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Phase Equilibrium in Solid-Liquid-Supercritical Fluid Systems, the second chapter of Supercritical Fluid Technology for Drug Product Development.

During their visit to Mumbai, Bruce McPheron, executive vice president and provost, and Gil Latz, vice provost of Global Strategies and International Affairs, met with Mukhopadhyay at IIT Bombay.

Mukhopadhyay recalled her faculty mentors’ strong support, extraordinary kindness of the staff and the first day when she arrived in Columbus and was picked up from the airport by one of the staff members. Just like her faculty mentors at Ohio State, she continues to mentor young women as they plan their higher education journey.