CHENNAI, 15th February 2024: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) faculty Prof. Thalappil Pradeep has become the 23rd foreign member from India to be elected to the United States National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
He was elected for his contributions to cluster chemistry and the discovery and implementation of affordable drinking water solutions. He will be formally inducted during the NAE's annual meeting on 29th September 2024.
Founded in 1964, the NAE is an independent institution that provides engineering leadership. It has more than 2,000 peer-elected members and international members, senior professionals in business, academia, and government who are among the world’s most accomplished engineers. They provide the leadership and expertise for numerous projects focused on the relationships between engineering, technology, and the quality of life.
Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honours 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.”
Accepting this honour, Prof. T. Pradeep, Institute Professor, Department of Chemistry, IIT Madras, said, “I am humbled by this recognition, which is a result of the hard work of my team. I could reach this far only because of the tremendous support my institution and my nation. This fellowship once again reaffirms my belief in the interdisciplinary nature of science.”
Prof. Pradeep works on diverse aspects of materials and has won many national recognitions including the Padma Shri and the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize. He has won coveted international recognitions such as the Eni Award, VinFuture Prize and Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Price for Water. He has built advanced scientific instruments for his work. He has 550 papers and over 100 patents to his credit besides being a co-founder of half a dozen companies.
Prof. Pradeep is a pioneer in nanotechnology applications for clear water. His work on pesticide removal has benefitted millions of people. Later he and his team developed ‘water-positive’ materials to remove arsenic, uranium and several other toxic contaminants from water and the technology has been approved for national implementation. He is expanding the reach of these technologies to other countries now.
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