In a testament to the role that Indian-Americans continue to play in deepening the United States' advances in science and technology, three out of 12 winners of medals awarded by President Barack Obama in this field were from this community. While Srinivasa Varadhan of New York University scooped up National Medal of Science, Rakesh Agrawal of Purdue University and Jayant Baliga of North Carolina State University were awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
Mr. Varadhan was honoured for his work in probability theory, especially his work on large deviations from expected random behaviour, which has revolutionised this field of study during the second half of the twentieth century and become a cornerstone of both pure and applied probability, said the White House in a statement.
Reflecting the Obama administration's interest in environmentally-friendly technologies, the White House noted that Mr. Agrawal was chosen for an extraordinary record of innovations in improving the energy efficiency and reducing the cost of gas liquefaction and separation.
“These innovations have had significant positive impacts on electronic device manufacturing, liquefied gas production, and the supply of industrial gases for diverse industries,” an official statement said.
Similarly underscoring the government's emphasis on infrastructure development in the post-crisis economy, the White House said Mr. Baliga was given the award for the development and commercialisation of the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor and other power semiconductor devices that are extensively used in transportation, lighting, medicine, defence, and renewable energy generation systems.
Commenting on the awards Mr. Obama said, “Each of these extraordinary scientists, engineers, and inventors is guided by a passion for innovation, a fearlessness even as they explore the very frontiers of human knowledge, and a desire to make the world a better place.” He added that their ingenuity inspired all Americans “to reach higher and try harder, no matter how difficult the challenges we face.”
While the National Medal of Science was created in 1959 and is administered by the National Science Foundation, the National Medal of Technology and Innovation was established in 1980 and is given by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Patent and Trademark Office
All three medal recipients will receive their awards at a White House ceremony later this year.
