On October 24, 2023, Joe Biden (Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.) President of the United States of America honoured the 21 innovators, including 2 Indo American scientists: Subra Suresh and Ashok Gadgil, with National Medal of Science (9) and National Medal of Technology and Innovation (12), the USA’s highest Award for Science and Technology.
- Subra Suresh, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University, was honoured with National Medal of Science.
- Ashok Gadgil, University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory(LBNL), was honoured with National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
The award ceremony was held at the East Room of the White House in Washington DC, USA.
About Subra Suresh:
Subra Suresh, hailing from in Mumbai, Maharashtra, is a Indian-born American bioengineer, materials scientist, and academic.
- He was honoured for his pioneering research across engineering, physical sciences and life sciences, and particularly for advancing the study of material science and its application to other disciplines.
Key Achievements:
i.Joined Brown University faculty in 1983, becoming the youngest member of the engineering faculty.
ii.His Research focuses on the intersection of engineering, physical sciences, life sciences, and medicine.
iii.He also served as MIT’s Dean of Engineering from 2007 to 2010.
iv.He served as the director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) from 2010 to 2013. He was the 1st Asian-born American to lead the NSF. He was nominated to the post by then US-President Barack Obama.
About Ashok Gadgil:
Ashok Gadgi, born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, is a retired Senior Faculty Scientist at LBNL widely known as “humanitarian inventor”.
- He was honoured for providing life-sustaining resources to communities around the world. His technologies are innovative and inexpensive to improve access to clean water, energy efficiency, and sanitation in developing countries.
About Awards:
i.The National Medal of Science, established in 1959 by Congress and administered by the U.S. National Science Foundation, is the highest scientific honor in the US.
- It is awarded by the President of the US to individuals who have made exceptional contributions in various fields viz. biology, computer sciences, education sciences, engineering, geosciences, mathematical and physical sciences, and social, behavioral, and economic sciences, to serve the Nation.
- This 2023 ceremony marks the first time the award has been given since 2016.
ii.The National Medal of Technology and Innovation, established by Congress in 1985 and administered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, recognizes visionary, creative American innovators for outstanding contributions to the promotion of technology for the improvement of the economic, environmental, and social well-being of the US.
- It the highest award for technological achievement in the US.
Click Here for full list of Recipients
Recent Related News:
i.On 18th July 2023, India and the United States of America (US) jointly launched a call for proposals on “Critical and Emerging Technology: Quantum Technologies and Artificial Intelligence for Transforming Lives“. The program was designed by the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) and the Secretariat for USISTEF.
ii.The United States of America (USA) and India conducted “Operation Broader Sword”, a bilateral multi-agency enforcement initiative, to identify illicit and illegal medical products shipped using the International Mail System.
About United States (US):
President– Joe Biden
Capital– Washington, D.C(District of Columbia)
Currency– US Dollar
