Vice Chancellor
Prof. Ramesh Ch. Deka
Vice Chancellor
Prof.Ramesh Ch. Deka is the current Vice-Chancellor of Cotton University, and a Professor in the Department of Chemical Sciences at Tezpur University. He completed his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemistry at Cotton College and Gauhati University, respectively. During his M.Sc., he qualified for the CSIR NET JRF and earned his Ph.D. in 1998 under the guidance of Dr. R. Vetrivel in the Catalysis Division at CSIR National Chemical Laboratory. In 1999, he moved to Japan for postdoctoral research at the University of Tokyo. Later, in 2001, he was appointed to a faculty position at Tezpur University, where he has since held several important academic roles, including Associate Professor, Professor, Head of the Department of Chemical Sciences, Dean of the School of Sciences, and Director of the Centre for Multidisciplinary Research. He was also awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship and conducted research at the Technical University of Munich, Germany from 2003 to 2005.
Prof. Deka is a prominent researcher in catalysis and a well-respected chemistry educator. His research focuses on the fundamental aspects of catalysis using both computational and experimental methods. Additionally, he has a strong interest in the history of science. He gathered historical documents from Heidelberg University, Germany, on Dr. Radhikaram Dhekial Phookan, a 19th-century Assamese chemist, and established that Dr. Phookan was the first Assamese to earn a Ph.D. He also published the first research paper on Dr. John Berry White, who played a significant role in the development of tea, railways, coal, oil industries, and medical education in Assam.
Prof. Deka has authored approximately 260 research articles in reputed peer-reviewed journals, with over 6,000 citations. He is listed among the world’s top 2% of scientists by Elsevier. He has successfully completed 15 research projects funded by agencies like DST, DBT, CSIR, and INSA and has supervised over 24 Ph.D. theses. He also serves as a reviewer for scientific journals published by ACS, RSC, Elsevier, Wiley, and others.
In recognition of his outstanding scientific contributions and leadership, Prof. Deka has received numerous prestigious awards and honours. These include his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) in 2017; the ACT (Association of Chemistry Teachers) Prof. Pinki B. Punjabi Award for outstanding research in chemical sciences in 2024; the Prof. A. S. R. Anjaneyulu Endowment Award from the Indian Chemical Society in 2017; the Bronze Medal from the Chemical Research Society of India in 2013; and the Prof. H. C. Goswami Award from the Assam Science Society in 2013. He has also served as the Secretary of the Catalysis Society of India.
Prof. Deka is an active member of several distinguished scientific bodies, including the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry (London), the Chemical Research Society of India, the Catalysis Society of India, and the Indian Science Congress Association.
Beyond his academic and research pursuits, he has a deep passion for music, particularly in playing the violin.
Awards and Honours
- Alexander von Humboldt fellowship by the AvH Foundation, Germany in 2003
- Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) 2017
- Bronze Medal, Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI) in 2013.
- Professor H. C. Goswami award by Assam Science Society in 2013.
- Executive Council member of Chemical Research Society India (2017- till date)
- Secretary, Catalysis Society of India (2018-till date)
List of Publications