Akkiraju, Karthik 

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Research Interests

• Heterogeneous Catalysis
• Density Functional Theory
• Material Poverty
• Well-being
• Environmental Impact
• Absolute Sustainability

Current Research Work

My research program lies at the intersection of materials engineering, computational social science, environmental impact assessment, and public policy. It focuses on three areas in the techno-social paradigm of planetary health. Focus 1 establishes material benchmarks for material demand and poverty alleviation using household survey data. Focus 2 delves into the association between material systems and the social and environmental impact on the well-being of those along the supply-demand chain. Focus 3 builds on Focus 1 and Focus 2 to integrate social and environmental impact indicators into the material design framework for heterogeneous catalysis applications – traditionally guided by structure-property relationships. 
An overarching theme unifies these three foci: To develop a material design framework that delineates material requirements for a good life based within the realms of equitable environmental and societal bounds.  Together, these foci reimagine materials design and resource management through the well-being lens. By establishing material benchmarks that reflect household demand, my research identifies communities facing the most significant material poverty and proposes sustainable material design solutions to meet their needs. The outcomes of this research will help future leaders to prioritize both economic growth as well as social impact within the constraints of material resources.