Troy, N.Y. — Omkaram “Om” Nalamasu, vice president for research at Rensselaer, has been honored with the Pride of India Gold award. Presented by the NRI Institute, the award recognizes nonresident Indians for outstanding achievements in their chosen fields and for contributions toward the economic development of India and the country of their adoption.

More than 400 nonresident Indians (NRIs) and heads of Indian and British business attended the NRI Institute’s ninth annual banquet Oct. 26 in London, which culminated in 17 Pride of India Gold awards. The NRI Institute, founded in 1989, aims to keep Indians informed of the achievements of NRIs and others of Indian origin through conferences, seminars, and exchange delegations.

“It is a delight to see Dr. Nalamasu receive this prestigious honor for his years of excellence at the cutting edge of scientific research, and his strong commitment to using the fruits of that work to benefit society,” said Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson. “We applaud him for this honor, and for the incredible contribution he makes to the Rensselaer community and beyond. He is indeed the pride of India and the pride of Rensselaer.”

Nalamasu is vice president for research, director of the Center for Integrated Electronics, professor of materials science and engineering, and professor of chemistry at Rensselaer. He is also the director of the recently funded Center for Future Energy Systems. An internationally recognized expert in organic and polymer materials design for electronic and photonic applications, Nalamasu has made seminal contributions to the fields of optical lithography and polymeric materials science. He has published more than 175 papers, review articles, and book chapters; edited two books; and obtained 14 patents (plus six pending). He also serves on several advisory boards, including Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Center for Functional Nanomaterials and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Materials Science and Engineering Division.

Nalamasu is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the American Chemical Society’s Roy W. Tess Award for Coatings, a NYSTAR Distinguished Professor Award in 2002, the American Chemical Society’s 2000 Team Innovation Award, Japan’s Photopolymer Science & Technology Award in 1998, and a R&D 100 Award in 1997 for his technical contributions.

Before coming to Rensselaer in 2002, Nalamasu served as founder and chief technology officer of the New Jersey Nanotechnology Consortium. The consortium is a public/private enterprise with Lucent Bell Labs, the New Jersey university system, and the New Jersey Governor’s office, which also received support from the U.S. Congress.

Nalamasu earned a B.Sc. in chemistry and biology from Osmania University, an M.Sc. in chemistry from the University of Hyderabad, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of British Columbia. He began his professional career at AT&T Bell Laboratories in 1986, where he held a series of increasingly responsible positions, culminating as director of the Nanofabrication Research Laboratory at Lucent Bell Labs. Prior to that, he served as director of MEMS and Waveguide Devices Research with Agere Systems Research and as director of the Bell Labs Condensed Matter Physics and Nanotechnology Department.

Contact: Jason Gorss
Phone: (518) 276-6098
E-mail: gorssj@rpi.edu