Indian-origin professor awarded 'Dutch Nobel Prize'
Darpan News Desk IANS, 07 Jun, 2023 02:16 PM
New Delhi, June 7 (IANS) Indian-origin professor Joyeeta Gupta has been awarded the Spinoza Prize, the highest distinction in Dutch science, for her scientific work focusing on a "just and sustainable world".
Gupta, Professor of Environment and Development in the Global South at the University of Amsterdam since 2013, was chosen by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) selection committee for her "incredibly broad and interdisciplinary" research.
Also referred sometimes as the 'Dutch Nobel Prize', the award will give Gupta 1.5 million euros to spend on scientific research and activities related to knowledge utilisation.
Gupta's research involves solution to issues arising from climate change through good governance. At the core of her research is an attempt to unravel the connections between the climate crisis, global water challenges, possible solutions and justice, a University of Amsterdam statement read.
"Justice for both people and the planet is the common thread in Joyeeta's work. She is relentlessly committed to climate justice, always looking beyond the boundaries of disciplines, realising that this is the only way to approach the climate issue," said Peter-Paul Verbeek, Rector Magnificus of the University of Amsterdam.
Gupta, who is the twelfth researcher from the University of Amsterdam to receive the award, will be officially honoured on October 4 at a presentation ceremony.
She studied at Delhi University, Gujarat University and Harvard Law School, and obtained her PhD from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She is also a professor at the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. In addition to her professorship, Gupta is co-chair of the Earth Commission, founded by Future Earth and supported by the Global Challenges Foundation, the University statement said.
She was also lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) between 1988 and 2014, which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former US Vice President Al Gore.
Tambar most recently served as Vice President of Community Health at Northwell Health and is currently the President and CEO of New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) -- the largest non-profit youth tennis and education program in the country, serving 85,000 K-12 NYC youth.
Seen as a "natural fit" for the task force, Bendapudi, who is the president of the Pennsylvania State University, comes with a 30-year career as a leader in higher education and business, a Pennsylvania State University release said.
He secured an MSc in Mathematics at Andhra University in 1941, an M.A. in statistics from Calcutta University in 1943 and a PhD degree at King's College in Cambridge University in 1948. Cambridge University awarded him the prestigious Sc.D. degree in 1965, and he has received 31 Honorary Doctoral degrees from universities in 18 countries.
Subramaniam is an Air and Space Operations Manager, whose service in the last 15 years has predominantly been in the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS), Missile Warning (MW), Space Domain Awareness (SDA), and Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) field.
Viraj Patel, a second-year doctoral student in the University's School of Communication, was recognised for his "exemplary skill and dedication". Patel has always been heavily involved in public speaking and communication, which became his way of defining himself, according to a University statement.
Pramila Jayapal won her Congressional election bid and became the first Indian-American woman in the House of Representatives in 2017. Before entering the House of Representatives, Jayapal served in the Washington State Senate from 2015 to January 2017. e
