After earning his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech, Dr. Bhat joined the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1990, where his research covered nonwovens, plastics recycling, nanotechnology, sustainable materials, and high-performance fibers. As the director of UTNRL he demonstrated successful production of nanofibers from thermoplastic polymers by meltblowing. In 2016, he joined University of Georgia as the Head of the Textiles Merchandising and Interiors department. Dr. Bhat has published more than 200 research papers, has three US Patents and has made more than 250 national or international presentations. He has served as the president of the Fiber Society and is also an active member of INDA, TAPPI and the Textile Institute. 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.

Dr. Gajanan S. Bhat's research interests include: Biodegradable Nonwovens and Composites Flame Retardant Nonwovens Fiber Spinning Structure and Properties of High Performance Fibers Nanoclay Reinforced Polymers, Fibers and Nonwovens Multifunctional Composites Nanophase MnO7 incorporated Fibers and Nonwovens