Pankaj Desai enjoyed an affluent childhood in Bombay where his parents had migrated in the 1930s. Originally, his ancestors were from Kindergarten through grade 12, Mr. Desai attended St. Joseph’s, a private Catholic boy’s school. In 1974 Mr. Desai arrived in Houston from Bombay as a graduate student in chemical engineering at the University of Houston. He completed his PhD in 1979. In 1980, he married a professional Indian women already settled in Chicago. He and his wife have one child, a daughter who attended private and suburban schools. As a side interest, Mr. Desai enjoys competitive running in half-marathons.