Kiran Baikerikar

Biography

  As the only child of two scientists, Kiran Baikerikar was destined to become one himself. Some of his earliest memories involve learning about physics from his mother and chemistry from his father. “My father is a chemist, and I remember him taking me to his lab to show me various synthesis operations when I was still in grade school,” Kiran said. “I was fascinated by all of the bubbling liquids and colorful materials winding their way through a complex maze of glassware. Those visits to the lab definitely sparked my interest in the chemical sciences.” Kiran pursued that early interest by earning bachelor’s and graduate degrees in chemical engineering from Iowa State and Michigan State, respectively, solidifying his passion for science and college sports at the same time. In fact, Kiran’s competitive spirit and team mindset contribute to his work at Dow, creating new solutions that give customers a competitive advantage. Stoked by Rolling Out New Materials Developing water-based coatings is one area where Kiran and his colleagues are currently working to respond to customer needs. “Today, the coatings industry is focused on finding water-based alternatives because of the drive to get away from solvents and volatile organic compounds, or VOCs,” he said. “But even though we’re working to meet customer requests to eliminate materials of concern, we realize that customers won’t accept new materials just for that benefit alone. Our new materials have to perform. “It’s the best when we have a new raw material that’s still at the commercial stage,” he said. “Then when we develop samples to gauge the market and get positive feedback from customers, it’s a very satisfying win for us and it keeps us moving forward as a team.”  

Research Interest