For the first time in its history, the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology has placed a University of Houston professor in its top leadership role.
Ganesh Thakur, a professor of petroleum engineering at the Cullen College of Engineering, has led TAMEST as its president since February, a role he hopes will bring more visibility to UH’s programs.
“I want to give the University of Houston – my colleagues, our professors – more exposure. I want to create an opportunity for them to be more visible,” Thakur said. “This is where the best professors from UH, the best from the University of Texas at Austin, the best from Texas A&M University and the best from around the state get to collaborate.”
TAMEST is the highest-level educational organization in the state, with 350 national academy members and eight Nobel laurates, many of whom are considered to be among the top in their fields of engineering, science and medicine.
The organization’s goal is to bring these minds together to solve real-life problems impacting society, ranging from disease vaccinations to energy storage.
“Our professors get to see what our colleagues are doing in other universities,” he said. “It really creates a positive motivation and inspiration for our professors.”
As president, Thakur will oversee the daily operations of TAMEST and is responsible for hosting the organization’s annual conference, which invites researchers from across the country to discuss opportunities on a particular topic.
The next conference will be hosted in San Antonio in February 2026 and focused on climate change and climate-related information.
“I was a champion of this topic,” Thakur said. “It’s important for people working in these fields to know what kind of impact climate issues have on our society and our people.”
Thakur’s tenure as president will end in 2027, and within that two-year timeframe his No. 1 goal is to showcase Texas – and Houston in particular – as a hub for the top scientists in the country.
“Ganesh’s role at TAMEST will give UH’s scientists and professors the exposure they deserve,” said Pradeep Sharma, dean at the Cullen College of Engineering. “Our faculty rank among the best in the world, and together the members of TAMEST will achieve great things.”