Achievements/Awards/Publications



CURRICULUM VITAE

I. Personal

Name VIJAY NATRAJ

Date Of Birth February 2, 1976

Nationality Indian

Contact Address 366, S Catalina Ave #301, Pasadena, CA 91106, USA

Phone No. (Office) 1-626-395-4175 (Home) 1-626-396-0120

Email vij@caltech.edu

II. Education

Oct 2001 – Present California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, USA

• Pursuing Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (Environment)

• Will be completing Master of Science (M.S.) by Oct. 2003

Jan 1999 – Jun 2001 National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore

• Masters Degree: Master of Engineering:

M. Eng. (Chemical)

• Masters Degree by Research

July 1994 – Jun 1998 National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore

• Bachelors Degree: Bachelor of Engineering:

B. Eng. (Chemical)

• Graduated with Upper Honours

Jan 1992 – Dec 1993 Raffles Junior College, Singapore

• Graduated with Straight As and Distinctions in Special Papers

Jun 1985 – Jun 1991 Loyola School, Trivandrum, India

• Secondary School: Passed the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Examination:

• Excellent Scores: 94.5 % in Science subjects and 89.2 % overall.

Jun 1981 – Jun 1985 Holy Angels Convent, Trivandrum, India

• Primary School

• Excellent Scores: Above 85 % most of the times

• One of the top students during all the years.

III. Experience

Oct. 2001 – Present Researcher, California Institute of Technology

Aug 1998 – June 2001 Research Engineer, Department of Chemical Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore

Jan 1997 – Jun 1997 Industrial Attachment Trainee, ESSO, Singapore Pte. Ltd. (as part of B. Eng. programme) (Full-time Internship Experience).

Note: After completing B. Eng. Degree course, I have a total experience of 5 Yrs. and 7 Months, as follows (as on Jan. 2004):

• Research experience: around 5 Years and 1 Month, as on Jan.2004

• Industrial (training) experience: 6 Months at ESSO Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Full Time Internship)

IV. Languages

* English: Medium of instruction throughout education: Very good knowledge: Reading, writing and speaking. Passed TOEFL (USA) with excellent score (280/300) before entry to USA.

* French: Obtained a Certificate from Alliance Francaise: Stood First in a batch of 50 students. Awarded Tres Bien for best performance. Score: 98%. (June-Sept 1991).

* Spanish: Reading and writing: undergone a basic course in Spanish

* Hindi: National language of India: Reading, writing and speaking

* Malayalam: Reading, writing and speaking

* Tamil: Mother tongue: Reading, writing and speaking

V. Computer Literacy

Software Proficiency:

• Mathematica

• MATLAB

• FORTRAN Programming

• IMSL Routines

• Origin

• ASPENPlus

Experience in:

• UNIX Platform

• Microsoft Windows Platform

• Internet/Intranet

(Participated in the Micromouse Competition organized by Ngee Ann and Singapore Polytechnics in 1992. My team stood first in the preliminary rounds).

VI. Achievements and Awards

(A). Academic Achievements

1. Consistently good academic performance right from primary school, always securing one of the top two ranks in class through high school.

2. Won the Proficiency Prize for Academic Excellence every year from Grade 5 through Grade 10. This award consisted of a certificate and a book prize.

3. Promotional Examination Academic Award for outstanding performance in the Raffles Junior College Promotional Examinations.

4. One among only three students in Raffles Junior College to be offered three special papers (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics), a rare feat.

5. Citation Letter from the Professor and Head, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, for outstanding academic excellence.

6. Twice placed on the Dean’s List for outstanding academic performance and scholastic achievement.

(B). Performance in Competitive Examinations

1. International: USA: Certificate of Participation in the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), after qualifying through the American High School Mathematics Examination; 1992 and 1993. Received an Honor Pin for the same. Stood First among Year One students of Raffles Junior College in the 1992 AIME.

2. International: Australia: Certificate of Distinction (top 16% of candidates) in the Australian Mathematics Competition; 1992 and 1993.

3. International: USA: Very good GRE Score: 2300/2400

4. International: USA: Very good TOEFL Score: 280/300

5. International: Dudley Wright International Competition: I was a National Finalist with Honorable Mention in the National Finals of the H. Dudley Wright International Student Contest, on the theme Together to Mars, organized by the Planetary Society, Pasadena, CA, USA; 1991. This competition involved qualifying through a written test, submission of a 10,000 word report on some aspect of exploration of Mars and presentation of the report before a panel of judges (for those who were short listed based on the written work). My report was entitled Surface Exploration of Mars.

6. Regional: Singapore: Certificate of Merit with Honorable Mention (ranks 6 to 10) in the Singapore Chemistry Olympiad; 1992.

7. Regional: Singapore: Runner-Up at the Hewlett Packard Technology Quiz; 1992.

8. National: India: First position in the National-level Science Talent Search Examination conducted by the United Council for Educational Research; 1990. The first prize carried an award of Rs. 1500, a certificate, a free trip to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, as well as the gift of a question bank, known as Rank File.

9. National: India: Won the National Scholarship and a Certificate of Merit in the National Talent Search Examination (NTSE), 1991. This examination involved a State Level (Screening) Test, followed by a National Level Test for those who qualified, and finally an interview after further short-listing. I was one of the 650 students to win the Scholarship amongst a total student strength of over 1,000,000 from all over India.

10. Inter-State: Kerala & Tamil Nadu: India: First prize in the Srinivasa Ramanujam Mathematics Olympiad for the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India; 1990.

11. State: Kerala: India: First position in the Kerala State ‘Pratibha Science Talent Test’; 1991. This award carried a cash prize of Rs. 1500.

12. Inter-School: Trivandrum: India: First Prize in the Ramanujan Memorial Ever Rolling Trophy Competition, Mathematics, conducted by Kendriya Vidyalaya School, Trivandrum, 1990.

(C). Scholarships

1. Global: USA: Departmental Fellowship for a Doctoral Program in Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA; 2001.

2. National: Scholarship in the National-level Science Talent Search Examination; 1991. This award was given to five students on an All-India basis, and carried a stipend for every year throughout my education up to undergraduate degree.

3. National: Scholarship from the National Council for Educational Research and Training, after taking the National Talent Search Examination; 1991. This award carried a stipend and book grant for every year throughout my education up to undergraduate degree.

4. Regional: Singapore Airlines (SIA) Youth Scholarship (selection is from candidates, mainly in the Asia-Pacific Region: awarded to 20 students from India) to pursue a two-year course in Raffles Junior College, rated Singapore’s top junior college; 1992.

5. Regional: Singapore: Singapore Airlines-Neptune Orient Lines (SIA-NOL) Scholarship for undergraduate studies at the National University of Singapore; 1994.

6. State: Scholarship of Kerala State in the Lower Secondary School Scholarship Examination; 1985.

(D). Patents

• India: Patent Filed: C.B.R. No. 5268: Date/Time: 10/02/2003, 12:12:43 PM: For an Indian Patent under the Patents Act, 1970, Ministry of Industry, Government of India for a new invention: “Corrosion Inhibitor for Boilers: VN-CIC-101”. Patent Application No.: 113/MAS/2003.

• USA: Patent Application being filed for a US Patent for a new invention: “Corrosion Inhibitor for Cooling Systems: VN-CIC-102”.

(E). Extra Curricular

• Won prizes in Drama, Elocution, Quiz, Writing, etc. (1985-91)

• Inter-Faculty Cross Country Meet: Singapore: Participation: 1992, 1993

• Sports and Games: interested in Cricket, Badminton, Table Tennis and Bridge

(F). Other Achievements

1. Achievements reported in regional newspapers (‘Kerala Kaumudi’, ‘Mathrubhumi’), national newspapers (‘Indian Express’) and journals (‘Countdown’); 1990.

2. Member of the Planetary Society, Pasadena, CA, USA; 1993.

3. Industrial Attachment with ESSO Singapore Pte. Ltd.; 1997.

4. Certificate of Appreciation from the Automation and Software Department: Raffles Computer Science Society; 1992.

5. Participated in the National Undergraduate Research Program; 1997. Did a research project and submitted a report on the same, which was published in the proceedings.

6. Selected to represent the undergraduate students of the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering and participate in a meeting with the MIT (USA) team that visited the National University of Singapore; 1997.

Additional Remarks Relevant to the World Bank:

I have studied and lived in a developing country for 15 years; and thereafter, studied and/or worked in developed countries. I am familiar with and committed to the problems of poverty alleviation and sustainable development in both developing and developed countries. During the past decade, I have carried out extensive survey of the economic, environmental, social and developmental problems of the emerging nations and published around 12 papers and reports on such problems (8 more are in the pipeline). Several of my publications have addressed the needs of international development, particularly for the LDCs, considering poverty and environment. I have very good knowledge of English, and three Indian languages. I have also studied French as well as Spanish (conversational capability can be acquired during stay). I have a consistent, exceptional academic record. My major achievements include Patent Filed, First rank in National Level Science Talent Contest and in Ramanujam Mathematics Olympiad, National Finalist in International Mars Exploration Contest (Planetary Society, USA), State Level as well as National, Regional and International Level Scholarships etc. I am computer savvy, strong in Mathematics and can work across disciplines in a multi-cultural, international environment, for which, I have a natural flair. My specialization is in environment (Ph.D. program: NASA Project) and sustainable development. I believe in teamwork and inter-personal communication and have the ability to document my findings effectively for proper information dissemination to the targeted groups or individuals. I had a brief experience in finance and trading which gave me an opportunity to demonstrate my skills in client management and leadership. I am willing to relocate and undertake country assignments.

VII. Publications

1. “The Mysterious Loyola Numbers”, The Loyolite, Loyola School Magazine, Trivandrum, 1990, pp. 15-16.

2. “Surface Exploration of Mars”, Report Submitted to: H. Dudley Wright International Student Contest: Together to Mars, Planetary Society, Pasadena, California, USA, 1991.

3. “Thermo-Welded Plastics Products Have Good Growth Potential’’, Kerala Industry, Vol. XXXIX, No.1, June 1991, pp. 17-18.

4. “Preliminary Design of a Penicillin-V Production Plant”, Thesis, Submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree of B.Eng. (Chemical), National University of Singapore, Singapore, 1998.

5. “Computer Aided Design of Solvent Recovery Unit”, Industrial Herald, Chennai, Vol. 35, No. 9, 2000, pp. 9-12.

6. “Design Considerations for the Penicillin-V Production Plant”, Chemical Weekly, Mumbai, Vol. XLVI, No. 11, Nov., 2000, pp. 163-164.

7. “Primary Electroviscous Effect in a Suspension of Charged Porous Spheres”, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (USA), Vol. 251, No.1, 2002, pp. 200-207.

8. “Diffusion Coefficient of a Charged Porous Sphere”, Chemical Engineering Science (accepted for publication), 2003.

9. “Impact of Power Law Constants on the Viscosity of PVC Solutions in Cyclohexanone and its Blends with Xylene”, Industrial Herald, Vol. 36, No. 1, Jan. 2001, pp. 69-72.

10. “Rheology of a Suspension of Charged Particles”, Thesis, Submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree of M.Eng. (Chemical), National University of Singapore, Singapore, 2001.

11. “World Bank’s Role in Tackling Environmental Problems of Developing Countries”, Industrial Herald, Jan. 2003, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 42-44.

12. “Government Assistance for Pollution Control of Industrial Units”, Indian Chemical Manufacturer’s Association Publication, ICMA Presentation of COM, Chennai, March 21, 2003.

13. “CO2 Driven Ecosystem” (Impact Analysis of Atmospheric CO2 Escalation on Terrestrial Ecosystem), Report No. VN/CO2/CIT/2003 dt. June, 2003, California, USA.

14. “The Ozone Layer, Montreal Protocol and Indian Stand”, (being published).

15. “Global Funding Options for Ganga-Cauvery Link”, Saket Industrial Digest (being published).

16. “South Asian Environmental Evaluation in the Context of the World Bank Assistance”, (being published).

17. “Global Warming Scenario for the Asia Pacific” (being published).

18. Air Pollution Due to Automobile Emissions, Motor India, July, 2003.

19. “Hydrological Cycle in the Indian Subcontinent as a Sequel to Climate Change” (being published).

20. “Evaluation of Global Warming Using Atmospheric CO2 Data of NOAA/CMDL Air Sampling Network in the Pacific Ocean”, Sent for publication, Geophysical Research Letters, USA.

21. “Sustainable Industrial Development vis-à-vis Pollution in the Indian Subcontinent”, (being published).

22. School Project Reports: (During High School): Loyola School, Trivandrum: (1985-1991):

• Architecture and Monuments of India Through the Ages

• Some Aspects of Indian Economy

• How to Start a Plastics Industry?

• Essays on Economics: ICSE Course-work

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