Dr. Subhas “Karan” Venayagamoorthy has been named the inaugural Kummer Endowed Chair of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at Missouri S&T. He will begin his duties in August. 
 
Venayagamoorthy comes to S&T from Colorado State University (CSU), where he has served on the faculty since 2008 and is currently the Borland Professor of Fluid Mechanics and founding director of the Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory. From 2022 to 2023 he was CSU’s associate dean of academic and student affairs for the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering.   

“I am honored to lead this department, which includes some of the world’s best civil, architectural and environmental engineering researchers,” Venayagamoorthy says. “S&T’s department is well known for providing a transformational education that prepares students for success beyond graduation.  

“I am excited for the opportunity to lead such a well-established and accomplished community, and I look forward to helping it reach even greater heights.” 
 
Venayagamoorthy is an expert in the areas of environmental fluid mechanics and water resources engineering.  
 
His projects have received support from agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Venayagamoorthy has received both the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award and ONR Young Investigator Award. He has received numerous teaching awards including the CSU Board of Governors Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award. 

Venayagamoorthy earned a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, where he later served as a visiting professor. 
 
He is also an honorary professor for the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, where he completed his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering.  
 
Earlier in his career, Venayagamoorthy worked in industry roles as an engineer and surveyor in multiple locations in South Africa and China. 
 
Venayagamoorthy will succeed Dr. Mohamed ElGawady, S&T’s Alard and Sheri Kaplan Faculty Scholar and a professor of civil engineering, who has served as interim chair since September 2024.  

“This department has a strong tradition of leadership focused on student success and conducting research that will help solve society’s most pressing challenges,” says Dr. David Borrok, vice provost and dean of S&T’s College of Engineering and Computing. “It is clear Dr. Venayagamoorthy will continue this legacy and further elevate our national and international reputation.”  

Venayagamoorthy will also hold a joint appointment as a professor in S&T’s mechanical and aerospace engineering department.

For more information about Missouri S&T’s civil, architectural and environmental engineering programs, visit care.mst.edu.

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit  www.mst.edu.