NAE Welcomes Three Scientists From Asia

A director of a pharmaceutical company, a power engineer and a water treatment technologist from Asia are among the members elected to the US’ National Academy of Engineering in 2019.

AsianScientist (Feb. 11, 2019) – Three from Asia have been elected to the US’ National Academy of Engineering (NAE). 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.”

Ms Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson and managing director of Biocon Limited, Bangalore, India, was recognized for her efforts in developing affordable biopharmaceuticals and the biotechnology industry in India. Under her guidance, Indian biopharmaceutical company Biocon Limited grew from a two-employee operation in the 1970s into a billion-dollar enterprise that seeks to deliver healthcare solutions across the biopharmaceutical innovation chain.

Ms Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw. Credit: Biocon Limited.

Meanwhile, her compatriot, Professor Mylavarapu Ramamoorty, the former chancellor of K L University, Hyderabad, India, was also commended for his technical leadership of power engineering research, development and education, as well as his contribution towards the establishment of key national laboratories in India. Ramamoorty was responsible for establishing India’s first graduate program in power electronics at IIT Kanpur in 1968, building the foundation for the nation’s power engineering ambitions. Over the course of his career, Ramamoorty has published more than 200 technical papers in reputed journals and seven books on thyristors, power systems, electric machines and hydropower generation, making him an authority in his field.

Professor Mylavarapu Ramamoorty (left). Credit: K L University.

The third scientist from Asia to join the NAE in 2019 is Professor Qu Jiuhui of the Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, who has made significant inroads in water treatment technology. Qu is also known for his leadership in improving water quality in China, having been the group leader for the ‘Technologies and Engineering for Water Pollution Control and Remediation’ project under China’s National Key Scientific Program for the 10th Five-year R&D Plan.

Professor Qu Jiuhui. Credit: World Emerging Industries Summit 2013.

Election to the NAE is regarded as one of the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the NAE’s annual meeting in Washington D.C., US, on October 6, 2019.

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Source: National Academy of Engineering, US.
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