Pranav Bhavaraju

Pranav Bhavaraju came to Arizona State University because of its research in sustainable biochemical production and the opportunity to develop as a cross-sector leader through the Next Generation Service Corps.

Those interests shaped his path through chemical engineering, where he focused on green energy, the circular bioeconomy and the challenge of moving sustainable processes from the lab to broader use.

“Chemical engineering is not just chemistry,” Bhavaraju says. “It is the physical application of chemistry, biology, material science and physics. We see chemical engineers in all areas of work and research because they are vital for process development in any major industry.”

He recalls knowing he made the right choice after taking graduate-level courses on the chemical engineering applications of synthetic biology, metabolic engineering and sustainable bioproduction of chemicals.

“For most of my time at ASU, I’ve worked on engineering photosynthetic cyanobacteria to sustainably produce sugar alcohols with nothing but water, light and salt,” he says.

His goal was to create a carbon-neutral, microbial-based product and implement synthetic biology tools to engineer cyanobacteria. The work led to the publication of his research paper in the journal Metabolic Engineering.

Bhavaraju also completed a research experience at the Kyoto Institute of Technology in Japan, where he worked on engineering fungi to produce dicarboxylic acids, which are precursors to bioplastics. The project focused on mass-producing the acids while developing a way to extract them for a semi-continuous biomanufacturing process.

He also broadened his global perspective on sustainability as part of the first cohort selected to attend the Environmental Engineering Summer School at Tongji University in Shanghai.

“Being able to connect with professors and students outside of the United States and speak the language of science and engineering was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” he says.

His interest in sustainability also extended to service. As an ASU Eco-Representative, Bhavaraju worked to increase campus sustainability through recycling, composting and education. He also volunteered with Andre House of Arizona, helping serve breakfast to hundreds of people.

After seeing the need at Andre House, Bhavaraju dedicated his honors thesis to developing a systems-thinking approach for redirecting food waste from manufacturers and grocery stores to nonprofits and community members in need.

Bhavaraju was named a National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges Scholar and received the Next Generation Service Corps Outstanding Student Award. He is especially proud of the service corps recognition because the program helped him think about how to use engineering to address complex societal issues.

After graduation, Bhavaraju plans to work for a year to gain experience in sustainable biofuel or biochemical production before pursuing a master’s degree or doctoral degree in biochemical manufacturing.

“I hope to be able to contribute to the development of the circular bioeconomy,” he says.

Favorites

Hobby: Mineral collecting
Movie: Green Book
Sports team: Denver Nuggets
Activity: Serving at a homeless shelter
Book: Awakening the Mind, Lightening the Heart by the Dalai Lama

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ spring 2026 class.

Written by Joe Kullman