BENGALURU: The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has selected six exceptional scientists and engineers as recipients of its 2024 Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Awards, while also introducing the Young Alumnus/Alumna Medals for alumni under the age of 40. These awards celebrate the significant contributions that IISc alumni have made to their respective fields, society, and the institute itself.
InfoNet of Things Founder and CEO George Brody serves as the chair of the board at TurboStart, and President of the IISc foundation in the USA. Brody has made extensive contributions to technology leadership across both corporate and startup ecosystems, and has led efforts to establish the IISc foundation in the USA where he continues to coordinate its activities.
Another awardee, Sridevi Jade, is a scientist and head of the CSIR-Fourth Paradigm Institute, as well as a Professor at AcSIR in Bengaluru. She is recognised for pioneering the use of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) data to analyse seismic properties in challenging terrains within the Indian Plate. She has also led several multi-institutional collaborations focused on hazard mitigation in India.
Shekhar Chintamani Mande, another honouree, is a JC Bose Fellow at the National Centre for Cell Science and a Distinguished Professor at Savitribai Phule Pune University. Mande, who previously served as the Director General of CSIR, has made significant contributions to structural biology and X-ray crystallography as well as science and technology leadership in addressing major challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic.
S Unnikrishnan Nair, Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Kerala, is known for his exceptional contributions to aerospace systems, particularly in the development of space transportation mechanisms for key ISRO programmes.
Jagjit Nanda served as a distinguished scientist at SLAC National Laboratory and Executive Director of the SLAC-Stanford Battery Centre. He has pioneered discoveries in advanced lithium, sodium, and solid-state batteries and has led one of the leading centres on battery and energy storage.
Yadati Narahari, Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Automation at IISc, is acknowledged for pioneering research in game theory, mechanism design, and artificial intelligence, as well as for applying these concepts in electronic auctions, markets, and agriculture.
In the newly established young alumni category Himabindu Lakkaraju and Nihar Bhadresh Shah were selected as medalists. These alumni will be honoured at a ceremony scheduled for December.