PROVIDENCE – A Brown University professor of engineering received national recognition for his contributions to the sciences last week.
Subra Suresh, a professor at large in the university’s School of Engineering and former director of the National Science Foundation, received a National Medal of Science on Oct. 24. Suresh was one of nine scientists chosen nationwide to receive the honor, which was last bestowed in 2016.
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The medal, presented to Suresh by President Joe Biden on Oct. 24, recognizes Suresh for “outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, or social and behavioral sciences, in service to the nation,” according to a White House statement.
Suresh is the third Brown professor to receive the distinction while an active member of the university’s faculty, following mathematician David Mumford in 2009 and Robert W. Kates in 1991.
Since its establishment by the U.S. Congress in 1959, 506 scientists have received the award.
In a statement, Suresh described the recognition as “icing on the cake” to his work.
“This is not why you do science,” he said. “You don’t do this for the reward, you do it for the joy. If somebody notices it, it’s icing on the cake.
“This particular one, though, has added significance because it’s from the president of the United States,” he added. “It’s national. It has the United States stamped on it.”
Suresh joined Brown’s faculty in 1983, where he stayed for 10 years before departing to lead the National Science Foundation. During that time, he oversaw a $7 million annual budget that funded a broad range of scientific research at more than 2,000 U.S. institutions, in addition to global research facilities.
Among his other accomplishments, Suresh established the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps program, and helped to launch the Global Research Council and Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide program. Outside of Brown, he led Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and Carnegie Mellon University as president.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
