Washington, Sep 27: US President Barack Obama has awarded medals to twleve scientists this year, out of which three are Indian-Americans, a White House press release said.
While Srinivasa Varadhan of New York University got the 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, The Hindu reported.
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.
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.
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 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.
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