Balakumar "Bala" Balachandran is an Indian-American mechanician and applied mathematician recognized for his contributions to the fields of nonlinear dynamics, experimental methodologies, and data-driven approaches.

Bala Balachandran was born in the city of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, India on February 4, 1963.

degree in Naval Architecture from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India, in 1985, and his M.S.

He completed his Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1990 under the guidance of Ali H.

Balachandran's research spans the fields of applied mathematics, applied physics, mechanics, dynamics, control, and system identification, with an emphasis on the analysis and application of nonlinear phenomena and nonlinear dynamics in diverse systems ranging from rotating machinery, vehicle systems, and space structures to disease dynamics.