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S. K. Sundaram - A Profile In Excellence

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S.K. Sundaram - A Profile In Excellence

Chief Materials Scientist - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Educational Background:

Ph. D. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 1994

M. Tech. Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India, 1986

A. I. I. Ceram. Indian Institute of Ceramics, Calcutta, India, 1983

ACerS Involvement & Honors:

Member, Secretary, Treasurer, meetings co-chair, meetings chair, Division co-chair, Division Chair, MS&T2006 ACerS meetings chair, MS&T2008 overall chair, and several volunteer committee activities in the Nuclear & Environmental Technology Division (N&ETD), Committee of International Ceramic Congress 1 (ICC) and ICC2

Organized/co-organized several symposia, presented papers, gave invited talks, and chaired sessions

Best Technology Paper award of NETD, 2001

Employment:

Dr. Sundaram, a Materials Scientist, joined the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory first in 1994 as a post-doctoral fellow and then as a Senior Research Scientist in 1996. He became Chief Materials Scientist in January 2002. He has more than 12 years of scientific, technical, and managerial experience in interdisciplinary glass/ceramics/materials research since his doctoral degree.

Prior to joining PNNL, Dr. Sundaram was a Research Assistant at the Georgia Institute of Technology (1992-1994) and the New York State College of Ceramics, Alfred University (1990-1992). Dr. Sundaram was also a Research Engineer in Tata Research, Development, and Design Centre, Pune, India (1987-1990) and a technical staff member in the Materials Research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India (1979-1987).

Accomplishments in Ceramic Science and Engineering:

Dr. Sundaram’s major contributions include:
1) developed advanced chalcogenide/chalcopyrite glasses for remote chemical sensing and nuclear detection, respectively,
2) invented millimeter wave diagnostic tools for vitrification nuclear wastes and other processing applications
3) advanced FTIR-based rapid screening technique for screening toxicity of nanomaterials, including silica.

He has won numerous awards and honors, including two R&D100 awards. He has held visiting appointments at Harvard, MIT, and Princeton. As an AAAS Fellow, he was honored for his "leadership and innovative contributions to a diverse cross-section of materials sciences, particularly new tools for synthesis and characterization of novel materials, diagnostics, and nanomaterials." He has made over 80 technical presentations, edited/contributed to 9 books, published over 75 peer-reviewed publications and technical reports, mentored/supported over 30 students, and organized/co-organized several national and international symposia on advanced topics in materials science.

Personal Background:

Dr. Sundaram grew up in South India. After high school and basic ceramic training, he moved first to Kharagpur, West Bengal for his early career and graduate school and then to Pune, Maharastra. He is married and has one daughter. His hobbies are reading, writing, and international movies.

Why Dr. Sundaram belongs to ACerS:
“My education and career have always centered on ceramic/glass science and engineering. The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) has been the supporting backbone of a vibrant community of volunteerism, professionalism, technical innovation, and scientific excellence. Over the years, I have served the Society by organizing numerous symposia/meetings, contributing to knowledge and technical programs, and helping with peer-interactive activities. I love volunteering, mentoring, teaming, and working across Divisional boundaries and disciplines within the Society as well as across other Societies in the world. I immensely enjoyed the opportunity to serve the Society in the transformation and full integration into the MS&T meetings in 2006. I am indebted to ACerS for all my professional accomplishments and contributions.”