VENKATESH “VENKY”NARAYANAMURTI, Benjamin Peirce Professor of Technology and Public Policy
and Professor of Physics
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Pierce Hall 107D, Harvard University.
Citizenship:U.S.A.
Education: B.Sc. (Honors), Physics, University of Delhi, 1958;
M.Sc., Physics, University of Delhi, 1960;
Ph.D., Physics, Cornell University, 1965 .
History: Director, Science, Technology and Public Policy Program, Harvard Kennedy School,
2009-
Founding Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 2007-2008;
Dean of the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences and John A. and
Elizabeth S. Armstrong Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences and
Professor of Physics, Harvard University, 1999 -September 2007;
Dean of Physical Sciences, Harvard University, 2003-2006;
Dean of the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Gordon McKay
Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 1998-1999;
Dean, College of Engineering and Richard A. Auhll Professor of Engineering,
University of California at Santa Barbara, 1997-1998;
Dean, College of Engineering and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
University of California at Santa Barbara, 1992-1997;
Vice President of Research and Exploratory Technology, Sandia National
Laboratories Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 1987-January 1992 ;
Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey: Director of the Solid State Electronics
Research Laboratory, 1981-1987; Head of the Semiconductor Electronics Research
Department, 1976-1981; Member of the Technical Staff, Physics Research
Laboratory, 1968-1976;
Instructor in Physics, Cornell University, 1967-1968;
Asst. Professor of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, 1965-1967 ;
Awards & Honorary Doctor of Science, Tohoku University (2009);
Honors: Member, National Academy of Engineering (1992);
Foreign member, Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (1987);
Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2007);
Fellow, American Physical Society (1981);
Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences (1974);
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (1982);
Fellow, IEEE (1986);
Foreign Associate, Third World Academy of Science (1997);
Honorary Member, Materials Research Society of India (1995);
Member, New York Academy of Sciences (1984);
Distinguished Visiting Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Cal Tech (1992-1998);
Physicist of the Year Award, American Chapter, Indian Physics Association (1993);
Award of Merit from New York Chapter of the Society of Technical;
Communications, for paper “Using Sandia Technologies for Improving National
Competitiveness” (1993);
Medal of Service, University of Helsinki (1994);
Excellence in Service Award, South Coast Business & Technology Forum (1996);
Innovator of the Year Award, Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce (1997);
Fellow, California Council on Science and Technology (1997);
Venky Narayanamurti Entrepreneurial Leadership Fund (annual award created at the
University of California, Santa Barbara) (1999);
American Physical Society (APS), Centennial Lecturer, 2000;
The “Venkatesh Narayanamurti Endowed Chair in Computer Science” was created
at the University of California, Santa Barbara (2005) through a generous donation by
the Lopker Family Foundation and an anonymous UCSB alumnus.
Eli Jury Award Lecturer, University of Miami, 2005;
Benton Lecture, University of Florida, Gainesville, 2009;
Numerous keynote lectures at major international conferences over the years
Visiting Professor, Harvard Business School, 2008-2009;
Asian American Engineer of the Year Distinguished Science and Technology
Award, Chinese Institute of Engineers, 2012;
Service: Member, Panel on Public Affairs (POPA), American Physical Society (APS)—1984-
1987;
Chairman, American Physical Society Subcommittee on International Scientific
Affairs (SISA)—1984-1986;
Member AIP Committee on International Scientific Affairs—1986, 1987;
Chairman, Advisory Board, School of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University—
1989-1991;
Science Board and Regional Council, Santa Fe Institute—1987-1991;
Chairman, Science Board, Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Stanford University—
1991-1992;
Microfabritech Board, U. of Florida—1989-1990;
APS Council Nominating Committee—1989-1991;
Editorial Board, AT&T Technical Journal—1987-1991;
Science Board, Air Force Phillips Lab—1990-1991;
Vice-Chair, IUPAP Commission on Physics for Development—1990-1996;
Chairman, Alliance for Photonics Technology Advisory Board—1990-1991;
Review Panel on the Future of MRLs, NSF—1992-1993;
Enrico Fermi Award Committee, Department of Energy—1992;
Advisory Board, Mechanical and Electronics Engineering Division, Los Alamos
National Laboratory—1993;
UC President’s Council on the National Laboratories—1994-1998;
Chair, Science Panel, Corporate Research Laboratories, Exxon Corporation—1994;
Editorial Board, Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science—1994-2003;
Program Committee, International BEEM/STM Workshop, Berlin, 1995;
Organizing Committee, International Phonon Scattering Conference, Ithaca, NY,
1992; Hokkaido, Japan, 1995;
NASA Review Panel for Low Temperature and Microgravity Physics—1995;
Visiting Committee, Physics, Brookhaven National Laboratory—1996-1999;
Visiting Committee, Physics, University of California at San Diego—1996;
Advisory Board, School of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University—1996- ;
George Pake Prize Committee, American Physical Society—1996 (Vice-Chair)-1997
(Chair);
Chair, Visiting Committee, Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University—
1996;
Chair, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Panel, National Research Council,
Board of Physics & Astronomy—1996-1999, as part of decadal Physics Survery
Board of Directors, Terabit, Inc.—1997-1998;
Board of Directors, Surface/Interface Inc.—1997-1998;
Member, Solid State Sciences Committee, National Research Council, Board of
Physics and Astronomy—1998-2001;
Chair, Visiting Committee, Materials Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory,
1999;
Scientific Advisory Board, Nova Crystals, 1999-2002;
Chair, Advances Scientific Computing Initiative (ASCI), Blue Ribbon Panel, US
Department of Energy—1999-2001;
Dean’s Leadership Council, Princeton University—2000-2004;
Chair, Visiting Committee, Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton
University—2000;
Advisory Board, Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science, U.C. Berkeley—
2000-2006;
External Reviewer for Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering,
Northwestern University-2001 ;
External Review Board DIMES (Delft Institute of Micro Electronics), Delft,
Netherlands, 2002;
Chair, Committee of Visitors, Division of Materials Research, National Science
Foundation, 2002;
DIMES Scientific Council (Delft Institute of Micro Electronics), Delft, Netherlands,
2003-2005;
Member, Engineering Dean’s Leadership Council, Cornell University, 2003-2008;
Member, Academic Advisory Council, Industrial Research Institute (IRI), 2003-
2005;
Member, National Academy of Engineering, Finance and Budget Committee, 2003-
2009;
Member, Advisory Board, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, NSF, 2003-2006;
Member, Brown University Advisory Council on Engineering, 2004-2009;
Member, Brookhaven National Laboratory Board, 2004-2005;
Member, Alliance for Science and Technology Research in America, (ASTRA)
Board, 2004-2005;
Member, Review Committee, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council,
United Kingdom, 2004;
Chair, Dan David Prize Committee, 2005;
Member, Engineering Dean’s Council, Public Policy Committee, 2005-2008;
Member Center For Integrated NanoTechnologies (CINT) Executive Governance
Board, Sandia National Laboratory, 2005-;
Member, Council on Competitiveness, National Innovation Initiative Strategy
Council, 2005;
Member, National Research Council’s MRSEC Assessment Committee, 2005-2007;
Member, Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Advisory Committee at the University of Southern California, 2006-2008;
Chair, Yale University Engineering Visiting Committee, 2006;
Member, President’s Council, Olin College, 2006- ;
Member Review Committee, Tata Institute for Fundamental Research, Mumbai,
India 2007;
Overseer, NRC Report on Future of Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
(CMMP) 2010;
Member, Committee on International Security and Arms Control, the National
Academies, 2008-2010;
Chair, NAE Nominating Committee, 2008-2009;
Member, University Advisory Council, Semiconductor Research Corporation, 2008- ;
Member, Dean’s Advisory Board, College of Engineering, Boston University, 2008- ;
Member, Program Review Panel, Materials Department, University of California,
Berkeley, 2008;
Chair Elect, Panel on Public Affairs (POPA), American Physical Society, 2009-2011;
Member, Electronics Engineering Peer Committee, NAE, 2009-2012;
Member, Advisory Board, WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku
University, Sendai, Japan, 2009- ;
Chair, Search Committee for Director of Division Materials Research, NSF, 2009-
2010;
Governing Board, Indo-US Science and Technology Forum, 2009- ;
Brain Trust, US Department of Energy, ARPA-E, 2010-2013;
Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy (AAAS), 2010-2013;
Review Board, Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico,
2010;
Advisory Board, Energy Frontier Research Center, University of Michigan, 2010-
2013;
Advisory Board, Energy Frontier Research Center, UCSB, 2010-2013;
Advisory Board, Energy Frontier Research Center, MIT, 2010-2013;
Chair, University of California review committee for Governor Gray Davis Institute
(CITRIS), 2010;
Elected to Council of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2010-2013;
Elected Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Engineering, 2011-2015.
