Dr. Bhat is a professor and the Department Head of Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors at the University of Georgia. His research covered nonwovens-melt blown, spunbonded and biodegradable; plastics recycling; nanotechnology; sustainable materials; and high-performance fibers. As the director of UTNRL, he successfully demonstrated commercially feasible production of nanofibers from thermoplastic polymers by melt blowing. He has published more than 250 research papers and made more than 300 presentations at international meetings. He has served as the president of the Fiber Society and is also an active member of INDA and TAPPI. Some of the awards/recognitions he has received include: Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni by Georgia Tech; Distinguished Achievement Award from the Fiber Society; Fellow of the Textile Institute; TechniTex India Research Achievement Award; TAPPI NET division Technical Achievement Award.