Suresh Santanam named associate director of Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems

Suresh Santanam named associate director of Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy SystemsFebruary 01, 2005Kelly Homan Rodoskikahoman@syr.edu

As a doctoral student at Harvard University’s School of Public Health, Suresh Santanam worked with renowned environmental health expert John Spengler and contributed to Harvard’s groundbreaking Six Cities Study, which explored the health effects of air pollution in America and prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to revise existing air quality standards. Years later, working for East Syracuse’s Galson Corp., Santanam studied how the proposed Oncenter convention center would affect the air quality in downtown Syracuse.

Santanam brings a wide range of experience-from the some of the world’s most well known laboratories to his tenure as an engineer and educator in Syracuse-to his new position as associate director of the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (CoE), which he began yesterday.

In his new role, Santanam will assist in directing and coordinating all aspects of the CoE, including activities to identify, secure and manage sponsored projects; plan, design, construct and operate facilities; and communicate the center’s activities. His immediate focus will be to provide leadership in developing the design of the planned CoE headquarters, which will be built on the former Midtown Plaza site in downtown Syracuse. Santanam will work with local companies and CoE partners to ensure that the design of the new building supports and maximizes collaboration.

“Suresh is a natural fit for the role of the CoE’s associate director,” says CoE Executive Director Edward Bogucz. “He possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience, and was mentored by John Spengler, one of the undisputed experts in the field of indoor air quality.”

Santanam most recently was a senior associate in the environmental division at Stearns & Wheler, an environmental engineering firm in Cazenovia, N.Y. He previously worked for Galson Corp. for six years, including three years as the company’s vice president of environmental programs.

He has also been an adjunct associate professor in the biomedical and chemical engineering department of SU’s L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) and an adjunct faculty member in ECS’ civil and environmental engineering department for the past 14 years. He teaches courses in fundamentals and design of air pollution control and air resources. In a course on green engineering, Santanam teaches students ways to accomplish projects without putting greater demand on natural resources.

Prior to receiving his doctorate from Harvard University, Santanam received a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the Oregon Graduate Center and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Kakatiya University in Warangal, India. He resides in Manlius, N.Y., with his wife, Linda, and their daughters, Elana and Hanna.

The Syracuse CoE, a federation of more than 70 businesses, organizations and academic and research institutions led by Syracuse University, was established by Gov. George E. Pataki in June 2002. Within the CoE, the New York Indoor Environmental Quality (NYIEQ) Center leads commercialization and corporate programs; the Environmental Quality Systems (EQS) Strategically Targeted Academic Research (STAR) Center leads research and development projects.