Patcha Ramachandra Rao | |
|---|---|
 Patcha Ramachandra Rao | |
| Born | 21 March 1942 Kavutavaram, Andhra Pradesh, British India |
| Died | 10 January 2010 (aged 67) Madurai, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (now Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi) Indian Institute of Science Osmania University |
| Spouse | Sudha Rao |
| Children | Suparna Patcha Dandamudi Animesh Patcha |
| Awards | Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (1985) National Metallurgist Award (2004) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Gold Medal, INSA (2005) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Metallurgy, Material Science and Engineering, |
| Institutions | Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (now Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi) National Metallurgical Laboratory Defence Institute of Advanced Technology |
| Doctoral advisor | T.R. Anantharaman |
| Doctoral students | Kamanio Chattopadhyay |
Patcha Ramachandra Rao (21 March 1942 – 10 January 2010) was a metallurgist and administrator. He has the unique distinction of being the only vice-chancellor (2002–05) of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) who was also a student (1963–68) and faculty (1964–92) at that institution. From 1992 to 2002, Rao was the director of the National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur. After his tenure as vice-chancellor of B.H.U., in 2005, he took the reins of the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) as its first vice-chancellor. He was to serve DIAT until his superannuation in 2007. From 2007 till the end, Rao was a Raja Ramanna Fellow at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.