Nikhil Punneri Madathil ’18 Receives Roaring10 Award

Nikhil Punneri Madathil of Sheboygan, Wis., is having a turbocharged career.

Nikhil earned a master’s degree in automotive engineering from Clemson in 2018, after completing a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at SASTRA University in India in 2013. He will begin his MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University this summer.

After graduating from Clemson, Nikhil joined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in Auburn Hills, Mich., where he designed, developed and tested the automotive industry’s first cylinder head integrated turbocharger. The innovation, which has the potential to save up to $200 per engine, has resulted in multiple patents in the United States and the European Union.

In 2020, Nikhil transitioned to XENEX Disinfection Services in San Antonio, Tex., and helped design and develop systems for next-generation robotic disinfection solutions, including the only FDA-authorized microbial reduction medical device for healthcare facilities. In 2023, he became a staff engineer for design and development of industrial generators for the energy division of Kohler Company in Kohler, Wis.

While in Michigan, Nikhil collaborated with the non-profit Detroit Malayalee Association, to support local residents affected by COVID-19 and victims of devastating floods in southern India. His non-profit service continued in Texas as president of the San Antonio United Malayalee Association and co-secretary of the India Association.

As a graduate student, Nikhil was president of the CU-ICAR Student Association and chairman/vice president of the Graduate Student Government – Greenville Council. He was named Graduate Student Leader of the Year in 2018 and was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Society. He was recently presented with the AuE Distinguished Alumni Award.