Six Indian Americans are among 180 scientists, writers, scholars, and artists who have been named Guggenheim Fellows

FREMONT, CA: Six Indian Americans have been named Guggenheim Fellows, joining 180 other scientists, writers, scholars, and artists. They were chosen from about 2500 applicants after a rigorous application and peer review process, based on prior success and extraordinary promise, according to the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Among the Indian American fellows are Prashant K. Jain, Professor of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (Chemistry); Shrikanth Narayanan, University Professor and Nikias Chair in Engineering, University of Southern California (Computer Science); Manjul Bhargava, Brandon Fradd, Class of 1983, Professor of Mathematics, Princeton University (Mathematics); Suparna Rajaram, Distinguished Professor in Cognitive Science, Stony Brook University, SUNY (Psychology); Jyoti Puri, Hazel Dick Leonard Chair and Professor of Sociology, Simmons University (Sociology): and Manisha Sinha, Draper Chair in American History, University of Connecticut.

Prashant K. Jain completed his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai and his doctorate in physical chemistry from Georgia Tech. His research focuses on nanoscale light-matter interactions, as well as the application of restricted light for artificial photosynthesis and imaging the atomistic dynamics of complex materials and catalysts.

Shrikanth Narayanan received his M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from UCLA in 1990, 1992, and 1995, respectively. A Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the International Speech Communication Association (ISCA), the Association for Psychological Science (APS), and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), he is also a member of several other professional organizations.

At Princeton University, Manjul Bhargava is the youngest full professor of mathematics. He recently received the Cole Prize in number theory from the American Mathematical Society and the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize for his excellent contributions to number theory.

Suparna Rajaram graduated from Mount Carmel College in Bangalore with a B.A. She subsequently went on to Purdue University for her M.S. in Cognitive Psychology and Rice University for her Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology. Additionally, she served as the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at Stony Brook University. A major focus of her research is on the social dimensions of memory, with a particular focus on learning and memory.

Jyoti Puri works at the nexus of sociology, sexuality studies, death studies, and postcolonial feminist theory when she publishes and lectures. Her main research interests are transnational or postcolonial feminist perspectives on sexuality, gender, race, country, state, death, and religion.

Manisha Sinha is an expert on slavery, abolition, and the Civil War and Reconstruction. She serves on the Board of the Society of Civil War Historians and on the Council of Advisors of the Lapidus Center of Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery at the Schomburg, New York Public Library.