Mayuresh V. Kothare

R. L. McCann Professor and Associate Dean for Research
P. C. Rossin College of Engineering & Applied Science, Lehigh University

Biography

Mayuresh Kothare is the R. L. McCann Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Lehigh University, and serves as visiting professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His interdisciplinary areas of interest span the problems of constrained and optimal predictive control theory, robustness analysis, MEMS and microchemical systems, control of microsystems, embedded control of biomedical systems, neuroengineering and closed-loop neuroprosthetic systems.

In 2012, Kothare became one of just two chemical engineers named as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellows. He was cited by IEEE for “contributions to multivariable constrained control systems and model predictive control.” He is also recipient of an NSF CAREER award, and was an invited attendee at the 2008 Frontiers of Engineering symposium of the National Academy of Engineering.

Kothare has served as associate editor of Automatica and the IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, as well as guest editor for Journal of Process Control and the IFAC-sponsored conference DYCOPS in 2010. In 2011, he was appointed deputy editor-in-chief of IFAC PapersOnLine, an online archive of all peer-reviewed conference proceedings sponsored by the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC). Kothare is a member of the IEEE, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Sigma Xi, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is also the 2013 Chair of the Computing and Systems Technology (CAST) division of AIChE.

Current Appointments

• R. L. McCann Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University (2004–present)
• Associate Dean for Research, P. C. Rossin College of Engineering & Applied Science, Lehigh University (2024–present)
• Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University (2008–present)
• Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering (by courtesy), Lehigh University (2018–present)
• Affiliated Faculty, Department of Bioengineering, Lehigh University (2017–present)
• Affiliated Faculty, College of Health, Lehigh University (2022–present)
• Affiliated Faculty, Institute for Data, Intelligent Systems and Computation (I-DISC), Lehigh University (2018–present)
• Affiliated Faculty, Institute for Cyber Physical Infrastructure and Energy (I-CPIE), Lehigh University (2018–present)
• Visiting Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2008–2012)

Areas of Research

• Neuroengineering
• Modeling of Biological Systems
• Dynamic Systems and Control
• Embedded Systems
• Model-based Optimal Control
• Nonlinear Systems
• Constrained and Robust Model Predictive Control
• Linear Matrix Inequalities in Control
• MEMS and Microchemical Systems
• Pressure Swing Adsorption; Medical Oxygen Concentrators
• Brain–Machine Interfaces; Closed-Loop Neuroprosthetics
• Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Cardiovascular and Gastrointestinal Regulation
• Data-Driven and Machine Learning Approaches for Dynamical Systems

Education

• Ph.D., Chemical Engineering (minor: Control and Dynamical Systems), California Institute of Technology, 1997. Advisor: Professor Manfred Morari.
• M.S., Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1995. Advisor: Professor Manfred Morari.
• B.Tech., Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, 1991. Institute Silver Medalist (first in graduating class).

Professional Experience

Academic Positions

• Associate Dean for Research, P. C. Rossin College of Engineering & Applied Science, Lehigh University (2024–present)
• Chair, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University (2012–2021)
• Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University (2008–present)
• Visiting Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (2008–2012)
• Distinguished Guest Professor, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai (2012–2015)
• Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Lehigh University (2003–2008)
• Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, Lehigh University (1998–2003)
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, Mobil Technology Company, NJ (1997–1998)

Industrial Collaborations and Entrepreneurship

• Co-founder, Omnilife Systems Private Ltd, Pune, India — medical-grade oxygen concentrator for distributed oxygen therapy (2021)
• Pharmateck LLC — spin-off company to commercialize medical oxygen concentrator technology (2015)
• Industrial collaborations with Owens-Corning, Invacare, Air Products & Chemicals, Consolidated Edison of New York, Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse, and General Dynamics Land Systems

Selected Honors and Awards

• Senior Member, National Academy of Inventors (2026)
• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2024)
• High Impact Paper Award, International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) (2023)
• Distinguished Alumnus Award, IIT Bombay (2020)
• Fellow, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) (2018)
• Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (2012) — cited for “contributions to multivariable constrained control systems and model predictive control”
• National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Workshop (2008)
• Outstanding Young Researcher Award (under 40), CAST Division, AIChE (2007)
• NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award (2002–2007)
• Alfred Noble Robinson Award, Lehigh University (2002)
• R. L. McCann Professorship, Lehigh University (2004–present)
• Frank Hook Assistant Professorship, Lehigh University (2002–2004)
• P. C. Rossin Assistant Professorship, Lehigh University (2001–2003)
• Ted Peterson Student Paper Award, CAST Division, AIChE (2000)
• Silver Medal, first in graduating class, IIT Bombay (1991)

Selected Publications

Books and Book Chapters

• Wan, Z. and M. V. Kothare. Efficient Robust Model Predictive Control via Convex Optimization: Efficiently Incorporating Robustness using Linear Matrix Inequalities. VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, Germany, 2008. ISBN 978-3639086584.
• Yao, Y., M. V. Kothare and N. V. Thakor. Models for Closed-Loop Cardiac Control Using Vagal Nerve Stimulation. In Handbook of Neuroengineering (N. V. Thakor, Ed.), pp. 2283–2318. Springer Nature Singapore, 2023.

Journal Articles

• Kothare, M. V., V. Balakrishnan and M. Morari. Robust Constrained Model Predictive Control using Linear Matrix Inequalities. Automatica, 32(10):1361–1379, 1996.
• Yao, Y. and M. V. Kothare. Multiple Model Predictive Control of the Cardiovascular System Using Vagal Nerve Stimulation. IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, 33(1):400–407, 2025.
• Prabhu, S., N. Kosir, M. V. Kothare and S. Rangarajan. Derivative-free domain-informed data-driven discovery of sparse kinetic models. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 64(5):2601–2615, 2025.
• Fernandes, S., B. Mahmoudi and M. V. Kothare. A novel compartmental approach for modeling stomach motility and gastric emptying. Computers in Biology and Medicine, 181:109035, 2024.
• Sarikhani, P., H.-L. Hsu, M. Zeydabadinezhad, Y. Yao, M. V. Kothare and B. Mahmoudi. Reinforcement Learning for Closed-loop Regulation of Cardiovascular System with Selective Vagus Nerve Stimulation. Journal of Neural Engineering, 21(3), 2024.
• Yao, Y. and M. V. Kothare. Nonlinear Closed-Loop Predictive Control of Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Using Vagus Nerve Stimulation: An In Silico Study. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 70(10):2764–2775, 2023.
• Prabhu, S., S. Rangarajan and M. V. Kothare. Data-driven discovery of sparse dynamical model of cardiovascular system for Model Predictive Control. Computers in Biology and Medicine, 166:107513, 2023.
• Kathiravelu, P., M. Arnold, J. Fleischer, Y. Yao et al. CONTROL-CORE: A Framework for Simulation and Design of Closed-Loop Peripheral Neuromodulation Control Systems. IEEE Access, 10:36268–36285, 2022.
• Urich, M. D., V. Rama Rao and M. V. Kothare. Implementation of an Embedded Model Predictive Controller for a Novel Medical Oxygen Concentrator. Computers & Chemical Engineering, 160:107706, 2022.

Patents

• Urich, M., V. Rama Rao and M. V. Kothare. Multivariable Model Predictive Controller. U.S. Patent 11,442,437, issued September 13, 2022.
• V. Rama Rao, S. Sircar and M. V. Kothare. Oxygen concentrator system and methods. U.S. Patent 9,649,589, issued May 16, 2017.
• Siew-Wah, C., S. Sircar and M. V. Kothare. Miniature Oxygen Concentrators and Methods. U.S. Patent 8,226,745 B2, issued July 24, 2012.

Research Funding

• Machine Learning Enhanced LIBS for Automatic Control of Hydrogen Producing Gasifiers. U.S. Department of Energy ($3,692,020). Role: Co-PI. Period: 2024–2026.
• Capacitive Capture of Carbon Dioxide Directly from Ambient Air. Lehigh Accelerator Program ($250,000). Role: Co-PI. Period: 2023–2025.
• Learning Computationally Efficient Dynamical Models of Stomach Motility and Gastric Emptying in Response to Vagal Nerve Stimulation. Lehigh Faculty Innovation Grants Program ($35,000). Role: PI. Period: 2024–2026.
• Lehigh and Owens-Corning Partnership: Exploring New Paradigms in Data Driven Model Development and Control of Sustainable Manufacturing of Insulation Products. Owens-Corning ($180,625). Role: Co-PI. Period: 2022–2025.

Editorial Activities

• Chair, AIChE Publications Committee (2023–present)
• Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control (2003–2009)
• Associate Editor, Automatica (2006–2012)
• Guest Editor, Special Issue, Journal of Process Control (2011)
• Deputy Editor-in-Chief, IFAC PapersOnLine (2011–2014)
• Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man & Cybernetics: Systems (2018–2019)

Teaching

• CHE 242: Introduction to Process Control and Simulation
• CHE/BIOE 339/439: Neuronal Modeling and Computation
• CHE 395/495: Applied Data Science
• CHE 434: Multivariable Process Control
• CHE 202/203: Unit Operations Laboratory

Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars

Professor Kothare has graduated 18 doctoral students and 5 master’s-level students, with alumni in positions at ExxonMobil, Apple, Amazon, Air Products & Chemicals, DuPont, and Siemens, and in faculty roles at the University of Texas–Dallas, Kuwait University, and San Jose State University. He currently advises three doctoral students and one postdoctoral scholar.

Professional Society Memberships

• Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) — elected 2012
• Fellow, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) — elected 2018
• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) — elected 2024
• Member, Sigma Xi
• Member, American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)