Ganesan Elected Fellow of The American Physical Society

Headshot of Professor Venkat GanesanVenkat Ganesan, the Kenneth A. Kobe Professor in Chemical Engineering, has been elected Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) for “contributions to innovative computer simulation approaches and analysis of equilibrium and dynamic properties of multicomponent polymeric materials and nanocomposites.”

“Venkat is a real pioneer in the modeling of a variety of polymer based systems, going from conventional applications such as block copolymers to emerging areas like nanocomposites and alternate energy sources,” said Professor Sanat Kumar, Ganesan’s nominator and chair of the Chemical Engineering Department at Columbia University. “Perhaps more important than simply being a theorist is the fact that Venkat puts his theories to the acid-test by comparing to experiments. This comparison, not only allows him to hone his theories, but also convinces experimentalists to use his theories.”

Ganesan’s research develops theoretical and computational models aimed to understand the fundamental mechanisms underlying the design and properties of novel, self-assembled advanced materials. Some of the tools and models Ganesan’s lab is developing could play a critical in improving materials used in things like hard disk drives, fire retardant materials and packaging materials.

“I feel honored and elated to be elected Fellow, an extremely selective recognition, in such an important scientific society,” Ganesan said. “I feel grateful for the mentorship and interactions I have received from my advisors, collaborators and colleagues.”

APS fellowships are awarded after extensive review and are a distinct honor because the evaluation process relies on nomination and recommendation by candidates’ professional peers. Election to APS fellowship is limited to no more than one half of 1 percent of APS’ membership for a given year.

Ganesan received his M.S. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering in 1999 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has received many other awards in recent years including the National Science Foundation’s CAREER Award (2004-2009), Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (2004), American Physical Society’s John H. Dillon Medal (2009) and was an invited participant in the 2009 National Academy of Sciences Frontiers of Science Meeting in Kunming, China.

 

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