Dr. Kannan Seshadri

As a senior product development specialist in the Consumer Business Group, Kannan applies materials science and manufacturing to products that require out-of-the-box thinking to solve real-world problems. Over the course of his career, Kannan has served as group and project lead and has managed cross-functional teams at 3M to develop new products and platforms. Kannan’s expertise spans sustainability, bio-based polymers, packaging, abrasives, ultra-thin polymer films, energy conservation and management, microfluidic devices, filtration/separations technologies for air, water, and gas, and biopharmaceutical production. He holds 50 patents in biotech/biopharma, filtration, optical films, abrasives, and consumer products.

When not in the lab, Kannan enjoys reading, hiking/backpacking, biking, and mentoring the next generation of STEM leaders. Kannan participates in youth-focused programs such as 3M Visiting Wizards, 3M STEP, 3M TWIST, 3M Young Scientist Challenge, etc. He is also an active scout leader and is a member of the President’s Cabinet of the Northern Star Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He is a mentor to students in the classroom to help promote science literacy, awareness, and education. Kannan serves on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Academy of Science and as a judge at the Minnesota State Science and Engineering Fair and the Twin Cities Regional Science Fair. Most recently, he served as scoutmaster for Grey Wolf National Youth Leadership Training under the Boy Scouts of America.

Kannan earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Penn State University and his post-doctorate from the University of Minnesota in Materials Science and Engineering.