BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — After being honored with three previous Fulbright awards, Illinois Wesleyan University Professor of Chemistry Ram Mohan has been chosen to serve as a Fulbright Specialist through a workshop in India.
Managed through the U.S. Department of State and World Learning, the Fulbright Specialist Program allows previous Fulbright grantees to apply to be added to a specialist roster. Any college or university in the world can then apply to request a specialist from the list to conduct a workshop on their area of expertise.
Mohan was appointed to the Fulbright roster in November 2024 as a green chemistry expert for a three-year period. Green chemistry, an essential component of sustainable chemistry, is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous substances.
This is Mohan's second assignment as a Fulbright Specialist, a recognition he said left him “deeply honored and humbled.”
For his first university pairing, Mohan will travel to Sacred Heart College in the seaside town of Kochi in India. Past Fulbright awards have also taken him to India, including a trip in spring of 2024 to St. Joseph’s University in Bangalore as well as many other colleges in rural areas across India.
“Being able to see big and small universities in India was insightful and gave me better insight into the booming growth of higher education in India. I typically travel to rural areas in India as they do not always get access to speakers and workshops. It is always humbling to see the desire to learn and grow among students there, and the care for the environment, especially amongst the younger generation,” he said.
Projects through regular Fulbright grants can last 6-12 months, said Mohan, while a Fulbright Specialist workshop typically lasts 20-40 days. Each Fulbright trip supplies Mohan with new experiences to bring back to Illinois Wesleyan students.
“While I am invited as an expert, with each trip I realize how much more there is to know, and I end up learning as much knowledge as I impart. At IWU, I teach an upper level green chemistry course. Based on these new experiences, I am continuously revising that class,” he said.
Mohan added that Illinois Wesleyan students should be encouraged more actively to apply for Fulbright grants, which are devoted to increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and citizens of other countries.
“What better way to promote world peace and understanding,” he said.
Mohan earned a bachelor’s in chemistry from Hansraj College in Delhi, India; a master’s in organic chemistry from the University of Delhi, India; and a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He completed postdoctoral work at The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Professor Mohan has been a member of IWU’s faculty since 1996. He primarily teaches sophomore and advanced level organic chemistry as well as green chemistry to both non majors and science majors.