Raj was a civil engineer in India and obtained a scholarship to pursue his master’s degree from Johns Hopkins in civil and sanitary engineering.
Raj studied under the legendary Abel Wolman. Being taught and mentored by Professor Wolman shaped not only Raj’s professional career, but also his life-long passion for Johns Hopkins. Upon graduation in 1954, Raj returned to India and spent a decade applying his skills as an engineer within the government of India’s Ministry of Health, building sanitation infrastructure for a nascent, post-independence India. Raj remained passionate about water sanitation, water access, and public health throughout the remainder of his life and professional career.
In 1965, Wolman recommended that the World Bank recruit Raj to work on global water supply projects. Raj knew that water access and sanitation were central to the advancement of underdeveloped countries. Over his 29-year-career, he bridged his engineering background with innate leadership capabilities and oversaw countless global infrastructure development projects. His relationship with Hopkins continued during this time through countless phone calls and in-person sessions with Wolman and other colleagues to collaborate and obtain their insights.
The Rajagopalan family’s relationship with Johns Hopkins continues over generations with two of Raj’s children and one grandchild receiving formal education and training from Hopkins across undergraduate and graduate programs. Members of Raj’s family established this fellowship fund to honor the legacy of their beloved husband, father, and grandfather.
The Rajagopalan Family Fellowship is awarded to a graduate student in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering who shares Raj’s passion for the importance of water in our ecosystem and is focused on advancing the access, supply, and sanitation of water.