Ram Bandaru, M.S. ‘17, Ph.D. ‘23, first met Professor Michael Keidar in 2015, going straight from the airport to Keidar’s office to seek out research opportunities in his Micropropulsion and Nanotechnology Laboratory (NPL). That initiative set the stage for a professional journey that now sees Bandaru leading research and development operations (R&D) in the power and energy sector, where no two days are the same.
Early Ambitions and Mentorship at GW
Since childhood, Bandaru dreamed of becoming an aerospace engineer and held a special interest in thrusters. After earning his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada, and interning at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Vizag, he set his sights on pursuing a master’s degree in the U.S.
Bandaru shared that GW’s aerospace engineering program stood out among the schools that accepted him because it enabled him to continue living in a city and learn directly from faculty who are the best in their fields. “This was when I came to learn about Professor Michael Keidar, who’s a well-known scientist in plasma propulsion and developing other plasma applications,” he stated.
“When I got an offer from GW, I thought that it was a great platform where I could grow, and one day I could be like Professor Keidar,” said Bandaru.
At the time, Bandaru knew nothing about electric propulsion, but that only fueled his curiosity. The “learning by doing” ethos of Keidar’s lab quickly became clear when a doctoral student, Dr. George Teel, gave him his first project to explore circuit design.
“He told me, ‘Ram, I want this signal, and I’ll give you these parts to do it. Don’t worry about the time, but I’m not going to help you. You have to figure it out–that’s what research and problem solving are,” Bandaru said.
Though the project took weeks to complete and a few blown circuits, Keidar encouraged Bandaru throughout. Rather than chastising him when he blew out a circuit, Keidar would explain that this is how you learn and encourage him to try again.
In his graduate research, Bandaru used his newfound knowledge to study vacuum arc thrusters for space applications. Alongside Keidar and external collaborators, he developed a satellite propulsion system that magnetizes and accelerates plasma in two stages, which can boost satellite performance. He later secured a patent for this innovation.
This project furthered Bandaru’s interest in thrusters, prompting him to pursue his doctorate to expand his work in plasma physics and gain additional hands-on experience in developing and running experiments. His work was published in leading journals, including Science Advances, the Journal of Plasma Sources Science and Technology, and the Journal of Electric Propulsion.
Bridging Academia and Industry
While in the third year of his Ph.D., a position opened at Eaton Corporation, a leader in developing power management technologies, for a senior specialist focusing on vacuum interrupters used in electrical switches for power generation, transmission, and distribution. The hiring manager, aware of Keidar’s expertise and prior collaborations with the company, asked if he had any students with the required experience. Keidar immediately recommended Bandaru.
Bandaru jumped at the opportunity and moved to Ithaca, New York, in 2022. Although he relocated for work, he completed his doctorate with GW by conducting essential experiments at Cornell University. He often headed straight to the lab after a full workday, balancing product development, manufacturing, and quality testing at Eaton Corporation with his academic research.
In his dissertation, Bandaru leveraged his industry experience to go beyond the research phase and address real-world scenarios. This sparked discussion among his mentors, including GW Engineering faculty and industry experts, Dr. John Luginsland, Director of the U.S. Air Force Research Labs, and Dr. Robert Kirkland Smith of IEEE, who validated the real-world implications of his work.
Today, as chairperson of the IEEE Ithaca chapter, Bandaru bridges the gap between working professionals and students himself, providing avenues for interaction through conferences, speaker events, and school visits. In recognition of these efforts, he was awarded a Technical Innovation Award in 2025.
Power and Energy Leader
In his four years at Eaton Corporation, Bandaru worked on major vacuum interrupter projects shipped worldwide. He developed high-voltage and medium-voltage vacuum interrupters for power transmission and distribution systems, Amazon and Meta data centers, bullet trains, U.S. aircraft carriers, Panama Canal operations, and solar and wind power generation plants.
The trial-and-error process Bandaru learned at GW Engineering uniquely prepared him for this work. If issues occur at any point in the R&D, production, or quality analysis process, he must analyze the cause and develop a solution quickly and independently.
“You must first understand how to do research. If you know that, it becomes easier,” said Bandaru. “I learned this in my Ph.D., so when I came to the corporate world, I didn’t struggle.”
Now, Bandaru conducts similar work as a test lab manager at Richards Manufacturing Company, an electrical equipment supplier acquired by TE Connectivity. In this role, he manages two labs: the R&D Test Lab and the Qualifications Test Lab. There, he helps develop connectors, medium voltage cable accessories, and network protectors.
Despite his initial interest in aerospace, it was Bandaru’s time in Keidar’s lab that opened his eyes to new career options and gave him the experience and networking opportunities needed to land a job in the power and energy sector–a field he notes is eager for new engineering talent. He encourages current GW Engineering students to take advantage of hands-on lab experience, as he did, so they can pave their own paths according to their interests.
“I encourage students to move beyond classroom theory, identify real research gaps, and understand how engineering is actually practiced in industry—while actively participating in forums such as IEEE standards meetings where the future of technology is shaped,” said Bandaru.