Ponisseril Somasundaran was born on 28 June 1939 and is an American mineral engineer of Indian origin and a LaVon Duddleson Krumb Professor of Mineral Engineering at Columbia University, New York.
13 Facts About Ponisseril Somasundaran
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In 1970, Ponisseril Somasundaran returned to teaching as an associate professor of mineral engineering at the Columbia University, got promoted as the professor in 1978, a post he held till 1983.
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In 1983, Ponisseril Somasundaran was conferred the title of La Von Duddleson Krumb Professor of Mineral Engineering of the University, the first person to receive the title.
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Ponisseril Somasundaran was made the director of the Langmuir Center for Colloids and Interfaces in 1987.
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Ponisseril Somasundaran is the incumbent director of the National Science Foundation, at the Center for Advanced Studies in Novel Surfactants and the Center for Particulate and Surfactant Systems.
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Ponisseril Somasundaran has been a member of the planning board and is the member of the Piermont Board of Appeals.
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Ponisseril Somasundaran has been a member of the National Research Council and the National Science Foundation Advisory Committees.
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Ponisseril Somasundaran has published several publications, reportedly fifteen books, over 700 scientific articles and holds many patents.
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Ponisseril Somasundaran is the honorary editor-in-chief of Colloids and Surfaces, an international scientific journal published by Elsevier.
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Ponisseril Somasundaran is a member of the National Academy of Engineering since 1985, the highest professional honour given by the Academy.
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Ponisseril Somasundaran received the Antoine M Gaudin Award in 1982 and five years later, in 1987, he received two awards, the Robert H Richards Award and the Arthur F Taggart Award.
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Ponisseril Somasundaran has received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, Senate Leadership Citation from New Jersey senate, the Frank F Aplan Award from the Engineering Foundation in 1992, Mill Man of Distinction Award and SME Publication Board Award Holder of the Most Distinguished Achievement in Engineering citation from AINA, Somasundaran was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri award, in 2010, when he was included in the Republic Day honours.
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Ponisseril Somasundaran is a member of the National engineering academies of India, China and Russia and has held the positions of the Honorary Professor of Central University of Technology, China and the Honorary Research Advisor of Beijing Research Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Beijing.