image: UT Arlington's Krishnan Rajeshwar is being honored by the NRI Welfare Society of India. view more
Credit: UT Arlington
The NRI Welfare Society of India has awarded two of its annual honors to a pair of University of Texas at Arlington professors noted for their contributions to the field of chemistry and biochemistry.
The NRI Welfare Society is an international organization based in India that connects "non-resident Indians" or NRIs with the country. An advisory board of Indian leaders such as politicians, business people and journalists leads the group. Their awards recognize "those Indians who have made their mark overseas and have kept the flag of India high," according to the group's website.
In October, Subhrangsu Mandal, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UT Arlington, will receive the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman Award at a NRI Welfare Society conference in London. Then, in January, Krishnan Rajeshwar, distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry, will receive the Hind Rattan Award at another conference in India.
"Dr. Rajeshwar and Dr. Mandal are outstanding representatives of the UT Arlington faculty who are making a global impact, both through their mentorship of students and through ground breaking research," said Ronald Elsenbaumer, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "From protecting human health to generating alternative power, they've put their expertise in chemistry to work on some of society's most pressing problems."
Rajeshwar and Mandal received their Ph.D.s from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India.
Rajeshwar said: "It is gratifying, that through this award, I am contributing in a small way to enhancing the impression of Indians abroad. And conversely to feel appreciated by people from my country of birth makes it all the more humbling."
He added that he is thankful for the supportive environment UT Arlington offers.
Rajeshwar has been a faculty member in the UT Arlington College of Science since 1983 and was a charter member of the UT Arlington Academy of Distinguished scholars. His specialties include photoelectrochemistry, nanocomposites, electrochemistry, and conducting polymers. He is the author of more than 400 peer-reviewed journal articles, including several in the Journal of The Electrochemical Society and Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters.
Mandal, who joined the UT Arlington College of Science in 2005, said he is honored to receive the NRI Welfare Society of India award.
"I am truly pleased that our research is getting highly recognized around the world, including by my Indian colleagues," he said.
Mandal studies the fundamentals of gene regulation, steroid hormone signaling, epigenetics, endocrine disruptions and human diseases. His work looking at Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, and possible health effects of exposure has been funded by the National Institutes of Health.
About UT Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive research institution and the second largest institution in The University of Texas System. The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked UT Arlington as the seventh fastest-growing public research university in 2013. U.S. News & World Report ranks UT Arlington fifth in the nation for undergraduate diversity. Visit http://www.uta.edu to learn more.