Subra Suresh / Image- caltech.edu

Indian American engineer, materials scientist, and academic leader, Subra Suresh, was appointed as a trustee at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). 

Currently the Vannevar Bush professor of engineering emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and president of the Global Learning Council,Suresh also serves as Brown University professor at Large, and a member of the board of governors of the New York academy of sciences among various other academic boards., . 

Prior to his new role at Caltech, Suresh served as president of Carnegie Mellon University and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. His tenure at Carnegie Mellon was marked by significant initiatives, including the development of the Tepper Quadrangle and the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, as well as the creation of substantial scholarship and fellowship programs for students.

He is a former director of the National Science Foundation, where he designed and created the Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program to translate scientific discoveries into commercial applications.

Suresh has authored three books and more than 300 research articles. He also has 30 patent applications. His work focuses on education, diversity and equity in STEM, and nurturing a global perspective among scientists and engineers.

Reflecting on his relationship with Caltech, Suresh shared, "I had the pleasure and the privilege of spending two sabbaticals at Caltech at different times, one around 1999 in GALCIT and the other in 2004 as the Gordon Moore Scholar." 
"One of the things that has always impressed me about Caltech is the impact it has had on new scientific discoveries, innovation, translation of science to industry, start-ups, and leadership in different domains all over the globe, especially given its extremely small size," Suresh added.

Last year, President Biden awarded Suresh the National Medal of Science, the highest honor for a scientist or engineer in the United States. His election to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine further underscores his significant contributions to the fields of engineering and materials science. 

Internationally, Suresh has received several prestigious awards, including the French Legion of Honor and the Padma Shri from the President of India. He is also a foreign member of major academies in China, France, Germany, India, Spain, and Sweden.