10 Indian Americans elected to National Academy of Engineering

Sethuraman Panchanathan, director of the National Science Foundation, and nine other Indian Americans are among 114 new members elected to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering (NAE) that provides engineering leadership in service to the nation.

Pradeep, Thalappil, Deepak Parekh Institute Chair Professor and professor of chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India is among 21 new international members.

This brings the total US membership to 2,310 and the number of international members to 332, according to an NAE press release.

READ: Four Indians elected to National Academy of Engineering (February 15, 2023)

Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. 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.”

Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the NAE’s annual meeting on Sep 29, 2024.

Newly elected Indian American members are:

Panchanathan, Sethuraman, director, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, Va. For multimedia computing for assistive and rehabilitative applications and for leadership at the institutional and national levels.

Bordawekar, Shailendra V., vice president, Small Molecule Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls Development, AbbVie Inc., Gurnee, Ill. For leadership in the pharmaceutical industry, developing life-saving medicines, influencing regulations, and advocating for women in engineering.

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

Chalamala, Babu R., senior scientist, Grid Modernization and Energy Storage, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM. For the advancement of battery storage systems.

Chaudhuri, Surajit, distinguished scientist, data systems, Microsoft Research, Redmond, Wash. For automated database system tuning, database query optimization, and data cleaning.

Desai, Tejal A., Sorensen Family Dean, School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI. For nanofabricated materials to control biologics delivery, and leadership in the fields of nanotechnology and regenerative medicine.

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

Haran, Kiruba Sivasubramaniam, Grainger Endowed Director’s Chair Professor and director of the Grainger Center for Electric Machinery and Electromechanics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. For high-power density electric and superconducting machinery technology and innovations in aircraft electric propulsion.

Maheshwari, Gargi, vice president, Biologics Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, Blue Bell, Pa. For industrial bioprocessing, leading to the licensure of biologics and vaccines for human health.

Nayak, Pandurang, vice president of Search, Google LLC, Mountain View, Calif. For web search ranking technology.

Prasher, Ravi, Chief Technology Officer, Bloom Energy, San Jose, Calif. For the development of thermal management technologies for microelectronics and the decarbonization of thermal energy systems.

Singh, Raj N., regents professor of materials science and engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. For the science and technology of manufacturing fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites leading to their applications and commercialization.

New Indian international member:

Pradeep, Thalappil, Deepak Parekh Institute Chair Professor and professor of chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India. For contributions to cluster chemistry and the discovery and implementation of affordable drinking water solutions.