Dr. Reddy created a graduate fellowship and an endowed chair in applied mechanics at Texas A&M in hopes of continuing his legacy and love for the field.
The Author
Dr. Junuthula N. Reddy
Holder of the Oscar S. Wyatt Jr. Endowed Chair in Mechanical Engineering
Lining the walls of Dr. J.N. Reddy’s office are books, awards and mementos from his home in India that tell the story of all he has accomplished since earning his master’s degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). It was there that he began writing computer programs to complete his coursework in addition to doing assignments by hand, impressing his professors and eventually leading him to his area of expertise, computational engineering science.
“My future was a bit uncertain as I made the move from India to the U.S., but I was very excited to find computers at OSU,” Reddy said. “Since then, my research has focused on developing theories and computational models that others can use to extend and advance their own research.” Known as the Reddy layerwise theory and the Reddy third-order plate theory, the models he developed have been included in Abaqus, a software that is used in the creation of virtually every structure, including automobiles, aircrafts and even medical prosthetics.
In 1992, Reddy accepted the Oscar S. Wyatt Jr. Endowed Chair in Mechanical Engineering to join the Texas A&M faculty. “I’m very grateful to have utilized funds from this chair to support many educational, research and professional service activities for myself and my students,” he said. “Texas A&M has allowed me to fulfill my two passions: teaching and research, both of which involve students, who are the most precious thing we have at this university.”
During the last 45 years, he has authored more than 700 papers and published 21 books, which are renowned for their clear language and figures, drawn by Reddy himself. He has also won the highest awards from professional organizations across his field. In hopes of continuing his legacy of research and serving students, he established a graduate fellowship and an endowed chair in applied mechanics at Texas A&M.
“Any meaningful measure of accomplishment must include giving back to the community,” he said. “Just like the chair I hold has contributed to my accomplishments, I hope that the chair I funded will also help faculty members do great things at Texas A&M.”