Prishati Raychowdhury

Prishati Raychowdhury is a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), specializing in Geotechnical Engineering with a focus on Soil Dynamics, Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, and Seismic Soil-Structure Interaction. She has been at IIT Kanpur since 2009, progressing from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor and currently serving as Professor since 2022.

Her educational background includes a PhD from the University of California, San Diego (2008), M.Tech from IIT Kanpur (2003), and B.E. from Bengal Engineering College (1999). Prior to joining IIT Kanpur, she worked as a Staff Engineer at Earth Mechanics, Inc. in California and as an Assistant Engineer at Kerr & Associates in Kolkata.

Prof. Raychowdhury's research focuses on geotechnical earthquake engineering, soil-structure interaction, dynamic soil behavior, and railway infrastructure geotechnics. She has made significant contributions to understanding soil dynamics, seismic behavior of foundations, and the application of waste materials like pond ash in geotechnical structures. Her work bridges theoretical developments with practical engineering applications, particularly in the Indian context.

Her recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate a strong emphasis on railway bridge engineering, seismic performance of earth retaining structures, composite foundation systems, and the behavior of alternative materials like pond ash. These works show a consistent trend toward addressing practical engineering challenges through advanced numerical modeling and experimental validation.

• Best Paper Award in Computational, Analytical and Numerical Modelling in the Indian Geotechnical Conference - 2021
• Sir M. Visvesaraya Fellowship from IIT Kanpur (2017-2020)
• Young Scientists Research Award from BRNS (2013-2016)
• Fast-track grant for young scientists from DST (2013-2016)

Prof. Raychowdhury has successfully led multiple sponsored research projects funded by SERB (DST), Northern Railway, Eastern Railway, and NRDMS (DST), focusing on seismic performance assessment, railway infrastructure monitoring, and landslide monitoring. Her professional affiliations include Life membership in the Indian Geotechnical Society (IGS), Indian Society for Earthquake Technology (ISET), Institute of Engineers, and membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).