Rare Recognition
Dr. Subra Suresh
Carnegie Mellon University President Subra Suresh has been elected a member of the Institute of Medicine (IoM), making him the only sitting university president and one of only 16 living Americans to be elected to all three of the U.S. National Academies as recognition for his work at the intersection of medicine, science and engineering.
Dr. Suresh is being honored for his contributions to advancing health and medicine through his research into cell mechanics related to malaria, blood diseases and certain types of cancer. Election to a National Academy is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to engineers, scientists or medical professionals.
Dr. Suresh was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2002 and to the National Academy of Sciences in 2012.
"CMU's new president is truly a scientist and educational leader for our time," said Ray Lane, partner emeritus at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and chairman of Carnegie Mellon's Board of Trustees. "He embodies, through his individual scholarship as well as institutional, national and global leadership, Carnegie Mellon's commitment to cross boundaries to transform lives."
Suresh is the first faculty member from Carnegie Mellon to be elected to all three academies and the fourth CMU faculty member to be named to the IoM. Additional IoM members include:
- (2004) Sheldon Cohen, the Robert E. Doherty Professor of Psychology;
- (1993) Baruch Fischhoff, the Howard Heinz University Professor in the departments of Social and Decision Sciences and of Engineering and Public Policy; and
- (1983) the late Lester Lave, the Harry B. and James H. Higgins Professor of Economics at the Tepper School of Business.
In addition, Dr. Suresh has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences, Spanish Royal Academy of Engineering, German National Academy of Sciences, Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, Academy of Sciences of the Developing World, Indian National Academy of Engineering, and Indian Academy of Sciences. He has been elected a fellow or honorary member of all the major materials research societies in the United States and India.
The U.S. National Academies are private, nonprofit institutions that provide expert advice on some of the most pressing challenges facing the nation and the world, helping to shape policies, inform public opinion, and advance the pursuit of science, engineering, and medicine. Election to the IoM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.
Dr. Suresh is speaking about his scientific work at the intersection of science, engineering and medicine in a public lecture on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 5:00 PM in Rashid Auditorium, in the Hillman Center for Future Generation Technologies on the Pittsburgh campus.
Related Links: CMU faculty National Academy membership | U.S. National Academies | Institute of Medicine of the National Academies | Leadership Site | Inauguration Site