He was previously a postdoctoral research associate and a director's research fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He earned a bachelor's degree from the National Institute of Technology, Trichy (India), and master's and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin, all in mechanical engineering. His research interests are in experimental fluid mechanics (hydrodynamic instabilities), turbulent mixing and supersonic combustion, impulsive unsteady phenomena, shock tube applications, experimental thermal hydraulics and laser diagnostics, design of thermal systems, and shock wave lithotripsy.