Nine Indian Americans Elected To National Academy Francis C. Assisi

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Siva S. Banda is a senior scientist at the Air Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB where he leads the Control Science Center of Excellence. The Center's on going activities are focused on control of unmanned air vehicles, control of transatmospheric vehicles, and control of microsatellites. He performs and directs basic and applied research that supports the future vision of the Air Force. His primary responsibility is the transition of basic research results from control theory to the USAF and the aerospace industry.

The technologies that emerge under Banda’s direction are expected to meet the challenges of the USAF. After high-level discussions with Air Force operational personnel in the Air Combat Command, Banda’s mission is to translate the future Air Force operational needs into a list of future technologies by enlisting the broader academic community.

Banda, who has been at WPAFB since 1980, says that the Air Force interest in access to space and NASA’s focus on the development of the next generation of reusable launch vehicles has provided new opportunities for researchers to develop technologies that support the objectives of civilian and military space programs. He recently solicited proposals from scientists that will reduce development costs, reduce turn-around time and increase overall safety and reliability of such vehicles.

Banda is a technical adviser to the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Office of Naval Research, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Research Council and several leading academic institutes worldwide.

Banda says that the Air Force interest in access to space and NASA’s focus on the development of the next generation of reusable launch vehicles has provided new opportunities for researchers to develop technologies that support the objectives of civilian and military space programs. He recently solicited proposals from scientists that will reduce development costs, reduce turn-around time and increase overall vehicle safety and reliability.

Rakesh Jain is a chemical and biomedical engineer. He is the Andrew Werk Professor of Tumor Biology at Harvard Medical School and serves as director of the Edwin L. Steele Laboratory for Tumor Biology at the MGH Cancer Center of Massachusetts General Hospital In Boston. The leading expert on tumor pathophysiology, angiogenesis, drug delivery, and intravital microscopy, Dr. Jain has published nearly 300 scientific papers and five books on tumor blood supply and other topics. He also holds several patents for medical discoveries. Jain has been cited “for the integration of bioengineering with tumor biology and imaging gene expression and functions in vivo for drug delivery in tumors.”

Pradman P. Kaul, Chairman of Hughes Software Systems is also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Hughes Network Systems, a 1.4 billion dollar (US) division of Hughes Electronics Corporation. Among other responsibilities, Mr. Kaul oversees all Hughes enterprises in India, which include Hughes Software Systems, Hughes Network Systems India, Hughes Escorts Communications Ltd., and Hughes Tele.Com. Previously, Kaul has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating officer as well as Director of Engineering. In this role, he oversaw the development of new digital communications equipment for handling voice, data and television systems. He has played a pioneering role in the satellite industry, which saw Hughes Network Systems conceiving the COMSAT and VSAT technology. With his sense of strategy, technology and market focus, Kaul has led Hughes into the world of mobile satellite communication systems.

Shivaji Sircar, professor of practice, chemical engineering department, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa. He has been inducted into the academy “for contributions to the fundamental science and technology of adsorption separations and their applications in process industries.” He became a faculty member at Lehigh University in 2002 following his retirement from Air Products and Chemicals Inc., where he served 29 years and became chief scientist in the company’s adsorption science division. Professors of practice, who are appointed by the university provost, are faculty members who bring a wealth of practical experience to the university but are not seeking tenure-track positions. Sircar holds 57 U.S. and 65 international patents.

Arup K. Chakraborty, a professor of chemical engineering and chemistry at U.C. Berkeley and a scientist in the materials science division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His research interests include problems ranging from inter-cellular communication in the immune system, bio-sensors, polymer science and interfacial phenomena to zeolite catalysis. He expects his team's research to enhance molecular-scale applications including the development of sensors, nanoscale separators, and viral inhibitors. Engineers wanting to design molecules that recognize a target pattern could use the model he has developed to speed up the search through "libraries" of synthetic molecules. He is currently Warren and Katherine Schlinger Distinguished Professor, Chair of Chemical Engineering, and Professor of Chemistry.

Vijay Vittal, Harpole Professor, department of electrical and computer engineering, Iowa State University, has been addressing the problem of the electrical systems division within the nation during his career. He has worked on ways to solve problems of connecting the nation's two electrical systems, which are separated by the Rocky Mountains His goal is to continue providing reliable and uninterrupted electric power. According to the academy's citation, Vittal was elected for "improvements in real-time control and dynamic security assessment for electric power systems." Vittal said he is proud of his research in electrical power systems, dynamics and control. He works to prevent large blackouts in power systems. "Only when the power goes out do we realize how dependent we are on it," Vittal said.

Darsh T. Wasan, vice president and Motorola Chair, department of international affairs, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. Wasan has been cited “for pioneering research, inspirational teaching, and the development of novel technology in colloidal processing and interfacial rheology.’” Professor Wasan has research interests in the areas of interfacial and colloidal phenomena, foams, emulsions and dispersions, and environmental technologies including soil remediation.

Kishor C. Mehta, P.W. Horn Professor of Civil Engineering and director, Wind Engineering Research Center, Texas Tech University, Lubbock is recognized nationally and internationally as an authority in the field of wind loads on structures and wind engineering. His research and consulting experience have helped him to develop guidelines and standards for wind loads, site-specific design basis wind speeds, and tornado-resistant design for shelters and building functions. He has shared his expertise and enthusiasm with students and professionals over the years. He has been recognized by the NAE “for systematic studies of structural damage caused by windstorms and leadership in the development of structural design standards for wind loads.’”

Rajagopal S. Raghavan, senior staff associate (retired), Phillips Petroleum Co., Tulsa, Okla. The NAE is honoring Raghavan “for pioneering contributions to the interpretation of pressure data in wells to improve the definition, engineering, and production of complex oil and gas reservoirs.”