Loganathan was from Karatadipalayam, Gobichettipalayam in Erode district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

[2] He completed his Bachelor of Engineering at PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore affiliated to the University of Madras in 1976.

at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and received a doctorate from Purdue University, United States studying under Dr. Jack Delleur.

His work at the university also involved collaboration with the National Weather Service office located on campus.

Of the thirteen registered students in Loganathan's class, nine were killed (Brian Bluhm, Matthew Gwaltney, Jeremy Herbstritt, Jarrett Lane, Partahi Lumbantoruan, Daniel O'Neil, Juan Ramon Ortiz, Julia Pryde and Waleed Shaalan)[citation needed] and two more were injured.