He is the Lewis E. Hester Chair Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Global Ambassador for Virginia Tech’s Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS). He has four decades of working experience where he has held positions in both industry and academia. This includes (i) seven years as an Assistant Professor at Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, (ii) fifteen years (1976-1991) at AT&T Bell Laboratories as Member Technical Staff and Bell Labs Fellow, (iii) fifteen years at the University of Colorado, Boulder (1991-2006) as Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of an NSF Industry University Cooperative Center, and Interim Dean of the College of Engineering, and (iv) over ten years at Virginia Tech as the first permanent Executive Director of ICTAS from 2006-16. Mahajan received a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University and his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, India. His education has throughout been marked by distinction and superior academic performance.