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{{Short description|Scientist and former Vice-chancellor of Gauhati University, Assam, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Okhil Kumar Medhi
| image = Prof OK Medhi.png
| caption = Okhil Kumar Medhi during his early years at the Department of Chemistry, Gauhati University
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| children =
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| thesis_url = https://www.genealogy.math.ndsu.nodak.edu/id.php?id=88672
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| alma_mater = {{plain list|
*[[IIT Kanpur]] ([[Master of Science|MS]], [[PhD]])
*[[Cotton University]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])}}
| workplaces = [[Gauhati University]], [[North-Eastern Hill University]], [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]]
| fields = [[Chemistry]]
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'''Okhil Kumar Medhi''' (1951-2021) was an Indian chemist and academic.<ref name=":1" /> He is best known for his time as the Vice-chancellor of [[Gauhati University]] in [[Guwahati]], [[Assam]], where he was also a professor of [[inorganic chemistry]] and former Head of Department in the university's chemistry department.<ref name=":0" /> After completing a Ph.D. at the [[Indian Institutes of Technology|Indian Institute of Technology]] [[IIT Kanpur|Kanpur]], Medhi undertook research at both the [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]] (as a visiting fellow) and [[North-Eastern Hill University]] (as a lecturer), but spent much of his academic career at [[Gauhati University]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> His scientific work has been varied but has included contributions to the fields of [[inorganic chemistry]]<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Medhi |first1=Okhil K. |last2=Silver |first2=Jack |date=1989 |title=A Mössbauer study on the (protoporphyrinato IX)iron(II) complexes of imidazole and substituted imidazoles as axial ligands in frozen aqueous solutions |url=|journal=Inorganica Chimica Acta |volume=166 |issue=1 |pages=129–133 |doi=10.1016/s0020-1693(00)80797-5 |issn=0020-1693}}</ref> and [[carbon]] [[nanoparticle]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Deka |first1=Manash Jyoti |last2=Dutta |first2=Parlie |last3=Sarma |first3=Sewaljyoti |last4=Medhi |first4=Okhil Kumar |last5=Talukdar |first5=N.C. |last6=Chowdhury |first6=Devasish |date=2019 |title=Carbon dots derived from water hyacinth and their application as a sensor for pretilachlor |url=|journal=Heliyon |volume=5 |issue=6 |article-number=e01985 |doi=10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01985 |doi-access=free |pmid=31338457 |pmc=6626484 |bibcode=2019Heliy...501985D |issn=2405-8440}}</ref>

During his time as Vice-Chancellor, Medhi made notable contributions to the development of [[Gauhati University]], including overseeing the creation of the university's Institute of Science and Technology (GUIST).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Remembering Prof Okhil Kumar Medhi - campus |url=https://sites.google.com/a/gauhati.ac.in/campus/home/rememberingprofokhilkumarmedhi |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=sites.google.com}}</ref> He additionally advocated for holistic and skill-based education especially in the university, and extending support to colleges across the state of [[Assam]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=[Assam] Prof OK Medhi new GU VC (The Assam Tribune, Tuesday, August 19, 2008 ) |url=http://listserv.aoir.org/pipermail/assam-assamnet.org/2008-August/019871.html |access-date=2023-08-13 |website=listserv.aoir.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-07-09 |title=Make Gauhati University an abode of enlightenment: Governor |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/make-gauhati-university-an-abode-of-enlightenment-governor/articleshow/20979542.cms |access-date=2023-08-13 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><ref name=":4" />

==Early life and education==

Okhil Kumar Medhi completed his early years of education at [[Don Bosco High School, Guwahati|Don Bosco High School]], a private education institute.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2011-07-26 |title=Vice Chancellor Recalls Fond Memories of DB School |url=https://cmpaul.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/vice-chancellor-recalls-fond-memories-of-db-school/ |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=NewsGrab |language=en}}</ref> Showing a particular interest in chemistry, Medhi attended [[Cotton University|Cotton College]], and thereafter he studied for a Master's degree in Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur ([[IIT Kanpur]]) in [[Kanpur|Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh]].<ref name=":1" /> His doctoral thesis was on the [[electron paramagnetic resonance]] of heavy [[transition metal]]s and was supervised by Professor UC Agarwal at [[IIT Kanpur]].<ref name=":0" />

==Career==

Medhi's first research position following his doctoral studies was as a visiting fellow at the [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]]<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2008-05-20 |title=Akhil Kr Medhi appointed new Gauhati University VC |url=https://assamtimes.org/node/1428 |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=Assam Times |language=en}}</ref> in [[Mumbai]], [[India]]. This was followed by an academic appointment as lecturer at [[North-Eastern Hill University]] in [[Shillong]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> In 1983, Medhi was appointed as a Reader of Chemistry at [[Gauhati University]] where he spent the majority of his career.<ref name=":0" /> He took a brief sabbatical from this position to undertake a visiting position as a Commonwealth Fellow at the [[University of Essex]] in the [[United Kingdom]].<ref name=":2" />

Upon his return to [[Gauhati University]], Medhi was promoted to a full professorship and eventually became the Head of Department between 2000 and 2003.<ref name=":0" /> During his tenure as Head of Department, Medhi secured funding from the [[Government of India]]'s [[Department of Science and Technology (India)|Department of Science and Technology]] to help the department modernise itself.<ref name=":0" />

Later in his career, Medhi was elected as the Vice-Chancellor of [[Gauhati University]].<ref name=":1" /> During his time as Vice-Chancellor, Medhi advocated for significant change in the Assamese education system, including promoting the teaching of science.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |author=Staff Reporter |date=2010-09-15 |title=OIL supports cancer research |url=https://assamtribune.com/oil-supports-cancer-research |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=assamtribune.com |language=en}}</ref> His notable contribution includes leading the creation of the Gauhati University Institute of Science and Technology.<ref name=":0" />

Aside from his academic profile, Medhi's scientific research focussed predominantly on [[bioinorganic chemistry]]{{cn|date=February 2024}} and [[nanoparticle]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Boruah |first1=SK |last2=Boruah |first2=PK |last3=Sarma |first3=P |last4=Bezbarauh |first4=B |last5=Medhi |first5=C |last6=Medhi |first6=OK |date=2013 |title=Exfoliation of Graphene oxide nanosheets from pencil lead and in situ preparation of gold nanoparticles on graphene oxide nanosheets |url=|journal=International Journal of Nanoscience |volume=12 |issue=5 |page=1350034 |doi=10.1142/s0219581x13500348 |bibcode=2013IJN....1250034B |issn=0219-581X}}</ref> He contributed to several academic papers and is a co-author of Inorganic Chemistry – Principles of Structure and Reactivity,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Huheey |first1=James E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ix1fTQ5gY5cC |title=Inorganic Chemistry: Principles of Structure and Reactivity |last2=Keiter |first2=Ellen A. |last3=Keiter |first3=Richard L. |last4=Medhi |first4=Okhil K. |date=2006 |publisher=Pearson Education |isbn=978-81-7758-130-0 |language=en}}</ref> a reference textbook for chemistry students. He was also an advisor to several doctoral students during his career.<ref name=":0" />

==Personal life==

Medhi resided for most of his life in north-east India, mostly in [[Guwahati]], the capital city of the state of [[Assam]].<ref name=":0" /> He married Chitrani Medhi, also a chemistry professor, with whom he had two daughters.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==

{{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Medhi, Okhil Kumar}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Gauhati University]]
[[Category:IIT Kanpur alumni]]
[[Category:North-Eastern Hill University]]
[[Category:People from Guwahati]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian chemists]]
[[Category:Cotton College, Guwahati alumni]]

Okhil Kumar Medhi - Revision history

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