2010 Honorary Degree
Swaminathan Sivaram
Doctor of Science
Swaminathan Sivaram has distinguished himself as a globally recognized scholar, educator, and scientist.
He is renowned for his work in polymer chemistry. The sheer volume of his scholarly activity is notable - more than 160 peer-reviewed scientific papers published in international journals, 30 book chapters, 19 scientific reviews, and 89 patent applications. He has been cited as an inventor in 51 issued U.S. patents.
Sivaram's discoveries have significantly advanced his discipline, attracted partnerships with international academic research groups, and developed a new generation of scientists. Currently Sivaram is director of India's National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), employing more than 200 scientists and 450 graduates. During his 21-year tenure at NCL, he has directly mentored 36 doctoral students pursuing thesis work.
As a scientific leader, Sivaram has connected industrial and academic research entities and provided policy advice to the government of India in critical areas of science and technology. Sivaram was appointed to a three-person committee by the government in 2005 and was entrusted with drawing the blueprint and preparing a vision document for a chain of publicly funded research universities in India.
Sivaram's contributions to his profession and country have been acknowledged with more than 30 major awards. He is a fellow of the World Academy of Sciences, Trieste, Italy, and an elected Fellow of all the learned academies of science and engineering in India. India's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research also honored him with its highest distinction, the S.S. Bhatnagar Fellowship. The president of India acknowledged Sivaram's contributions to his country with the Padma Shri Award, a coveted civilian honor that is awarded to fewer than 50 individuals annually.
Sivaram received his bachelor's degree in chemistry, mathematics, and physics from Madras University in 1965 and his master's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He completed his doctorate in organic chemistry at Purdue in 1971.
Following his studies at Purdue, Sivaram spent two years at the University of Akron before returning to his homeland and joining Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited for 15 years.
Sivaram and his wife, Rama, reside in Pune, India. Their son, Sushil Sivaram, is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in English poetry at
