College of

Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Ravi at the OSU School of Chemical Engineering's Centenary on September 29, 2017.

 

A Golden Journey 

Two shining silvers from the 20^th and 21^st centuries are my punctuation to an amazing golden journey (1975-2025) filled with thrills, chills and frills in the United States. It was all made possible due to a dream come true … only because OSU gave me a master’s admission in chemical engineering with a quarter-time teaching assistantship starting in August 1975. My life has been fulfilling with many milestones over the past 50 years. Here are the major ones! 

GRADUATE SCHOOL  

I applied to graduate schools in the USA from India with one goal – I wanted to do research in heat transfer for my master’s thesis with an internationally reputed professor.  While I got admitted to both of my top choices, Oklahoma State gave me a quarter-time teaching assistantship and the opportunity to study with Dr. Kenneth Bell. So, the school decision was made for me … my first U.S. dream coming to fruition! 

 

Since my middle school days, I have been inclined towards service-oriented activities, making a difference to people, enjoying nature, protecting the environment and interest in the military. This translated into contributing to my master’s thesis research on the flammability of fabric safety, a project funded by the U.S. Army! The contributory research involved fabric safety to protect military personnel and humanity at-large! Wow, another dream that came true! With thankfulness and gratitude to OSU, Dr. Ken Bell and the U.S. Army Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland. 

APPLIED CHEMICAL ENGINEERING CAREER 

I contributed and continue to contribute with a chosen career in applied chemical engineering, occupational health & safety, and environmental protection. This contribution directly impacting people, the environment and nature in keeping with my interests. How cool is that to have fun contributing to your passions! The contributions for 30+ years were in the chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries in addition to the U.S. Air Force. I was a self-employed consultant starting in 1991founding SHRIE Quality. 

 

My passion to be a technical writer was realized working as the regional technical editor for the monthly Chemical Processing magazine for 10 years (1996 to 2006) and have contributed toward book reviews relating to safety and environmental protection. 

 

I continue to contribute voluntarily as an active member of the ASTM Occupational Safety & Health (E-34) Committee for 40 years (since 1985) in global standards development and the Bay Area Community Advisory Panel for 16 years (since 2009) interfacing the chemical industries and the community. 

VOLUNTEER SERVICE TO THE NATION AND COMMUNITY 

The USA has afforded me the opportunities to fulfill my passions! So, when I became a U.S. citizen, I wanted to give back to my country and the community. 

 

To give back to the country, I served in the U.S. Armed Reserves Forces for eight years. I enlisted in the Navy and got an honorable discharge after 10 months, when the U.S. Air Force commissioned me as a captain. I completed my basic military training at Lackland AFB. For my technical training, I graduated from Brooks AFB School of Aerospace Medicine. I served with the 917^th Medical Squadron at Barksdale AFB as a reservist.

 

To give back to the community, I was a volunteer EMT for the same eight years working the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift. I have been volunteering and am continuing to give back to the Reserve Organization of America (for over two-decades) and the United Services Organization (for over 11 years). 

 

How cool is it to … again … have the opportunity to fulfill your dream of serving your country and society!! 

VOLUNTEER SERVICE TO THE ROOTS 

To give back to the country of my roots, India, my wife and I started a nonprofit Swaralayam Arts Forum in 1996 to promote Indian Fine Arts in the USA (classical music and dance). It has provided employment to qualified musicians and dancers from India who obtained their immigration and settled as independent teachers in the community for over two decades. For the past 17 years, the nonprofit has promoted the fine arts through science with special awards for fine arts related science projects in the USA at the elementary, middle and high school levels at local and regional (4^th largest in USA) science fairs. Also, in India, the nonprofit is bringing fine arts to the tribal schoolchildren in the HD Kote District in the southern Indian state of Karnataka as it provides employment for qualified fine arts teachers. 

 

It is an amazing feeling to have had the opportunity to make a difference in a handful of professional fine arts artists from India, educate hundreds of children in the USA about their fine arts roots, and encourage schoolchildren and tribal schoolchildren through fine arts rooted in science. 

 

My mother tongue is Tamil (a South Indian language). I had the opportunity to serve as a Tamil interpreter in U.S. Immigration Court for 10 years (starting 1992). That was an opportunity to serve the Sri Lankan Tamils who were victims in their home country. Interpreting their life-altering experiences touched me as well.  

HEALTH CHALLENGES OVERCOME & ON-GOING 

To make a long story short, the following health challenges have made me a stronger person mentally, emotionally and spiritually! 

 

• A snowy 17-degree F day, December 31, 1976, accident as an international student, when my Ford Pinto got rear-ended by a 2-ton 18-wheeler 20-miles west of Nashville, TN on I-40W.  1977 was a challenging year medically, physically, emotionally, financially, educationally and socially. 

• Chronic low back challenges since 1996 (probably stemming from the MVA catching up a couple of decades later)!? 

• 28 colorectal surgeries (under general anesthesia) between 2008 and 2025 leading to challenges of sitting and on-going! 

• A benign tumor in the pituitary gland (prolactinoma) diagnosed in 2008 and medically controlled (with the uncertainty that I can go blind if the tumor grows by an inch) 

• 4 benign nerve cell sheath tumors (schwannomas) diagnosed in 2016 in my lumbar spine that are not growing (with the uncertainty that I can be paralyzed from waist down if the benign tumor grows) 

• A cardiac ablation under general anesthesia in 2017 for atrial fibrillation 

These health challenges led to two medical talks on Patient Experiences in India:

• Dr. T.G. Lokesh Babu Memorial Lecture at JIPMER, Pondicherry, in 2016 (one of the top medical schools in India)
• 2016 MeDe Vision Conference (for medical & dental students)

VOLUNTEER SERVICE TO HUMANITY 

The military volunteering and life challenges exposed me to chaplains. I developed an appreciation and understood the value of chaplaincy as a result. So, I armed myself in spiritual care through course work in Hindu Spiritual Care. I have been volunteering as a spiritual care volunteer for the past 2 ½ years at two hospitals. This has resulted in providing spiritual care (chaplaincy) to 3,040 patients saying 1,279 prayers and interacting with 1,218 families. 

SUMMARY 

How blessed am I to have weathered these storms and continue to weather some of them and still be able to do all the things I’ve been able to do? Amazing fun filled fulfilling life! Thanks to OSU for initiating this incredible journey and giving me an opportunity to contribute and share. 

 

I am forever indebted to OSU.  With thankfulness and gratitude, 

 

Ravi Iyer

1976 MS Chemical Engineering graduate of OSU