Dr. Mihirkant Upadhyaya | Scientist · Athlete

About

Mind and body.
Never one without the other.

Dr. Mihirkant Upadhyaya is a Senior Supply Chain Technical Program Manager at Intel Corporation, currently pursuing an MBA at the Foster School of Business, University of Washington (expected graduation June 2027). He holds four earned degrees: a B.E. in Computer Engineering, an M.S. in Physics, an M.S. in Nanoscale Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Nanoscale Science and Engineering.

In Spring 2025, he completed a trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp and was certified by six international record-keeping organisations as the most academically qualified individual to have achieved this feat. A resident of Noida, he is actively training for a full Everest summit attempt in 2028.

Earned Degrees

World Record Certifications

Years at Intel

5.0

USTA Tennis Rating

In doctoral robes with world record certificates and degrees

The Record

The most academically qualified individual to trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp

In Spring 2025, Dr. Upadhyaya completed a 14-day expedition to Mt. Everest Base Camp at 5,364 metres, organised by Highland Expeditions, and in doing so became the most academically qualified individual in recorded history to reach the foot of the world's highest peak. The journey took him through ancient Sherpa villages, across suspension bridges draped with prayer flags, and past Himalayan panoramas stretching from Ama Dablam to Lhotse to Everest itself.

The Spring 2025 season proved to be one of the most demanding in recent memory. Temperatures dropped to −20°C and visibility fell to near zero during sudden squalls. To make matters worse, oxygen saturation levels for the group fell below 70 percent. For Upadhyaya, managing those conditions with hereditary asthma demanded extraordinary discipline and pacing. When a teammate developed severe symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness, the group faced difficult decisions about whether to continue at all. They pressed on.

The trek was also a deeply personal journey. Both of Upadhyaya's paternal grandparents were from Nepal. Walking to Everest Base Camp was, in a profound sense, an ancestral homecoming — a chance to walk the land they once called home, in a country woven into his bloodline.

Standing at the Everest Base Camp rock marker, 5,364m

Meditating with Ama Dablam in the background

Lying on a rock with Ama Dablam in the background

Certified by Six International Organisations

Elite World Records View Certificate → Unique World Records View Certificate → Golden Book of World Records View Certificate → America Book of Records View Certificate → Time World Records View Certificate → Universal Records Forum View Certificate →

Education

Following curiosity,
wherever it led

At Delhi's DPS RK Puram, Mihir was a Gold Medal recipient for maintaining above 80% marks for seven consecutive years from Class 6 through 12. Torn between Physics and Engineering after school, he chose Computer Engineering under the weight of convention. Two years in, he knew his heart was elsewhere. He began self-studying Physics alongside his B.E. coursework, attended Summer School at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), and completed his final year undergraduate project at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). Along the way, Mihir represented his college at national technical festivals across IITs, winning First Place at IIT Roorkee and a 'Budding Researcher' award at IIT Kanpur for his paper on hydraulic fracturing simulation studies. He earned offers to pursue his M.S. in Physics from five top 20 universities in the US, including the University of Rochester's Department of Physics and Astronomy, ranked in the top 10 in the world. That pivot from engineering to fundamental science set the trajectory for everything that followed.

The Research

At Rochester, Mihir studied Physics with a focus on Materials Science. At SUNY Albany, his Master's research investigated titanium dioxide nanostructures as an alternative catalyst support for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), work supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). His doctoral research focused on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, developing simulation models for predicting the printability of native mask defects and investigating EUV reflectivity loss mechanisms, both critical challenges in advanced semiconductor manufacturing. This work earned him the prestigious Student Scholarship Award from the International Symposium on EUV Lithography, selected from over 200 candidates worldwide, and his near-perfect GPA led to his selection as the flagbearer for India at the university's Commencement Ceremony.

2027 (Expected)

M.B.A., Supply Chain and Operations

Foster School of Business, University of Washington

GPA: 4.00 (current)

2014

Ph.D., Nanoscale Science and Engineering

State University of New York at Albany

GPA: 3.95

2010

M.S., Nanoscale Engineering

State University of New York at Albany

GPA: 4.00

2008

M.S., Physics

University of Rochester

GPA: 3.70

2007

B.E., Computer Engineering

Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune

Grade: First Division

Career

11 years building the future of semiconductors

Intel Corporation · Hillsboro, Oregon

Sr. Supply Chain Technical Program Manager

August 2022 – Present

Managing supplier relations for semiconductor manufacturing equipment procurement across North America, Europe, and Asia. Leading ISO/IATF audit activities and driving organisational compliance. Recipient of the Intel Foundry Excellence Award (2025) and Global Supply Chain Divisional Award (2023).

Intel Corporation

R&D Supply Chain Engineer

September 2020 – August 2022

Led ramp-up and qualification of a new advanced packaging facility in Oregon. Received Divisional Award for enabling high-volume manufacturing of next-gen IC nodes.

Intel Corporation

Technology Development Engineer, Components Research

April 2015 – September 2020

Developed and implemented novel plasma etch processes for IC manufacturing. Received two Divisional Awards for process development and yield improvements.

Lam Research Corporation · Albany, NY

Process Engineer Intern

July 2011 – August 2014

Developed dielectric etch processes for future technology nodes in the research division.

Presenting at SPIE Advanced Lithography Conference

Athlete

A lifelong commitment to fitness

Physical discipline has been a constant since childhood. At Delhi's DPS RK Puram, Mihir spent seven years on the school's football team and competed in the 100m and 200m on the track team, winning multiple inter-school tournaments in the North Zone. In 2001, he represented his school at the Indian Public Schools Conference (IPSC) national football tournament, and was nominated Sports Secretary for his final year.

That competitive drive never faded. Through graduate school at SUNY Albany, he won three intramural tennis and two soccer tournaments. Today, he holds a USTA 5.0 tennis rating, an advanced tournament level, and continues to compete in individual and team events.

In preparation for the EBC trek, Mihir summited Mt. St. Helens twice and Mt. Hood once to acclimatise to altitude and thinner oxygen, combining daily hour-long runs, weight training, and intense tennis sessions with a complete dietary overhaul. All while managing hereditary asthma.

School (1996–2002)

DPS RK Puram football and track teams. IPSC national football tournament. Sports Secretary 2001–02.

Graduate School (2008–2014)

Three intramural tennis and two soccer tournament wins at SUNY Albany.

Professional (2015–Present)

USTA 5.0 tennis rating. Multiple individual and team tournament victories.

Everest Preparation

Mt. St. Helens (2x), Mt. Hood (1x). Daily 5K runs and weight training. Complete dietary transformation.