Prof. K. S. Subbarao was born in August 1941 and completed his B.E.(Civil), from Mysore University in 1961, M.E.(SMFE), from Indian Institute of Science in 1963, Ph.D., from Indian Institute of Science in 1969. He commenced his career as a Senior Research Assistant, Civil Engineering Department at IISc in 1966 and served IISc for 38 years in various capacities as lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor and professor. He was a post-doctoral research fellow with Prof. G. G. Meyerhof at Nova Scotia Technical College, Canada during 1972-1974. Has been one of the top academics of the country in Geotechnical Engineering, in recognition of the same was elected as a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering in 1994. His main fields of research are Foundation Engineering, Earth Pressures and Expansive Soils. He has received IGS-Kueckelman award in the year 1998 for his contributions to Geotechnical Engineering. He has delivered the 22nd IGS Annual Lecture at Kolkata in 1999. He has guided 19 Ph.D, 5 MSc(engg), and 40 ME dissertation theses. He was the Chairman of Civil Engineering Department at IISc during 1995-2000. He was conferred Honorary Fellowship of Indian Geotechnical Society in 2008. He has been a Geotechnical Consultant to many government, public and private agencies in solving many problems involving ground improvement techniques, pile foundation design and testing, foundations in expansive ground, reinforced earth/soil-nailed retaining walls, canal linings etc. He has been a recognized ‘Dam Engineer’ for many years and has carried out detailed engineering design of embankment dams, tailings pond dykes, and ash pond dykes for many companies like Nalco, Vedanta Alumina, Orissa Mining Corporation, ANRAK, Hindustan Zinc Ltd., and KPCL,etc. He is currently the Chairman, Project Management Group at IISc since 2006,over-seeing the construction of major infrastructure projects at IISc.