Two continents, two centuries, one alma mater: The Talwalkar engineering legacy

Tryambak Wama "T.W." Talwalkar (1926, B.S., Ceramic Engineering) traveled halfway around the world to The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It was the 1920s — a time of great economic and social change. A journey from India to the United States would have involved a multi-week voyage on a steamship, plus trains to travel to the Midwest.

After graduation, T.W. returned to India, becoming a leading researcher in the field of plasticity of clays, and in 1928 co-founded the Indian Ceramic Society. He worked for more than 35 years at Tata Iron and Steel Company (now Tata Steel), one of the largest steel producers in India. “He was a very accomplished ceramics and material science engineer. He was extremely well regarded during and after his tenure at TISCO," said his great-grandson, Nikhil Talwalkar (2026, B.S., Computer Engineering).

A century later, Nikhil would follow his great-grandfather to Illinois, initially unaware his ancestor had made a similar choice 100 years before.

Raised in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, Nikhil was educated in a British school and intended to attend college in England. His interest in computer science and physics began in high school. "I loved solving problems and specifically understanding hardware and software, which is why I chose to apply for computer engineering," said Nikhil.

During Nikhil’s last year of high school and a short time before applications to U.S. schools closed, family members in the U.S. suggested he apply to universities in the States, despite not having taken the SAT (a standardized college entrance exam) normally required for the U.S. higher education system. The year was 2020, and the world faced a deadly pandemic. Within the U.S., colleges and universities were dropping SAT requirements due to COVID-19 restrictions forcing the closure of test sites. Nikhil knew about and applied to Grainger Engineering because it was a top engineering college, and U. of I. came strongly recommended by a close friend who was already a student at Illinois.

After he was accepted, Nikhil’s family began connecting the dots to his great-grandfather’s history. "My dad and my grandmother were talking and recalled, 'We've heard of this place before.' They found out he graduated from Champaign in 1926. No one had it in mind when I applied. It was a complete coincidence. I guess you can call it destiny," said Nikhil.

"I've met some fantastic people, had some amazing professors and have learned a lot in my four years. … It's just been an incredible experience. A lot of hard work, but also a lot of fun with the community at Illinois," Nikhil said of his experience at Grainger Engineering.

The connection to his great-grandfather made Nikhil's graduation, exactly a century later, even more significant. "I definitely have a special connection with the U. of I. after learning about my great-grandfather and especially during graduation in May. Having my family there [at Commencement] was very special as well,” said Nikhil.

Photo Credit: Heather Coit, May 17, 2026