Two Indian-American scientists were on Tuesday honoured with the National Medals in the fields of science and technology by US President Joe Biden.
Dr Ashok Gadgil was conferred the National Medal for Technology and Innovation, while Dr Subra Suresh was awarded the National Medal of Science.
These medalists have made discoveries that enable life-saving medical treatments, help fight the opioid epidemic, improve food security, advance accessibility, protect our democracy, and much more, said the White House in a statement. "Their accomplishments advance American leadership in science, technology, and innovation, and their work inspired the next generation of American minds," the statement further said.
Who is Dr Ashok Gadgil?
Ashok Gadgil was born on November 15, 1950. He earned a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California. Before that, he had completed his M.Sc. in Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur in 1973.
Dr Gadgil worked as a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California and also served as the former director of the Environmental Energy Technologies Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). He serves as a Co-Editor for Annual Reviews in Environment and Resources and was the Co-Editor in Chief for the Development Engineering journal.
Ashok Gadgil is the founder of Potential Energy, formerly the Darfur Stoves Project, and served on its board for 12 years.
In 1993, a deadly cholera outbreak in India motivated Dr Gadgil to invent a highly efficient UV water purifier that was not only affordable but also safe, long-lasting, and user-friendly.
In 2013, Dr Gadgil was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for his work on engineering solutions for clean water and energy in developing countries.
Who is Dr Subra Suresh?
Born in 1956 in India, Dr Subra Suresh graduated from high school at 15 and earned his undergraduate degree, master's degree and Ph.D. by the age of 25. He completed his MIT doctorate in just two years.
He spent two decades as a faculty member at MIT and then served as Dean of the School of Engineering from 2007 to 2010. Following this, he served as Director, US National Science Foundation (NSF), from 2010 to 2013. He was also the President of Carnegie Mellon University from 2013 to 2017.
In 2007, Dr. Suresh became a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, an esteemed recognition of his contributions to the scientific community.
In 2010, former President Barack Obama nominated Dr. Suresh to lead the US National Science Foundation, and the US Senate unanimously confirmed his appointment.
Dr Suresh now holds the position of Professor at Large at Brown University's School of Engineering.
