7 Indians elected to National Academy of Engineering

Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer

Four Indian Americans are among 106 new members elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), while three Indians figure among 18 new international members.

The seven Indian origin engineers — Shorya Awtar, Anirudh Devgan, TS Ramakrishnan, Anil Sachdev, Vikram S Deshpande, Aniruddha B Pandit, and Raman Sujith — and others in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the NAE’s annual meeting on Oct 1, 2023, according to an NAE press release.

Read: Five Indian Americans elected to National Academy of Engineering (February 20, 2019)

This brings the total US membership to 2,420 and the number of international members to 319.

Election to the NAE, a private, independent, nonprofit institution that provides engineering leadership in service to the nation, is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer, according to the release.

Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.”

NAE’s mission is to advance the welfare and prosperity of the nation by providing independent advice on matters involving engineering and technology, and by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and public appreciation of engineering, the release said.

READ: 10 Indian Americans inducted into the National Academy of Engineering (February 25, 2015)

Four new Indian American members are:
Shorya Awtar, chief executive officer, Parallel Robotics LLC, Ann Arbor, Michigan. For inventing and commercializing game-changing surgical products that have made minimally invasive surgery affordable and accessible around the world.

Anirudh Devgan, president and CEO, Cadence Design Systems, San Jose, California. For technical and business leadership in the electronic design automation industry.

TS Ramakrishnan, senior scientific adviser, Schlumberger-Doll Research Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts. For contributions to petrophysics, reservoir characterization, abandonment of production wells, and carbon sequestration and storage.

Anil Sachdev, principal technical fellow and lab group manager, General Motors Co, Warren, Michigan. For the research, development, and commercialization of lightweight materials to improve vehicle fuel economy.

Read: MIT community members elected to the National Academy of Engineering for 2023 (February 14, 2023)

Three new Indian origin international members are:
Vikram S Deshpande, professor, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom. For contributions to mechanics of microarchitected solids with applications to structures under extreme dynamic loading.

Aniruddha B Pandit, vice chancellor and UGC Professor, Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India. For contributions to cavitational reactors from concept to commercialization, and engineering solutions to improve the lives of underserved people.

Raman Sujith, chair professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India. For applications of dynamical systems theory to the understanding and control of instabilities in engineering systems.