Prashant Kamat, the Rev. John A. Zahm, C.S.C. Professor of Science in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and concurrent professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, has been elected as a Pravasi Fellow by the Indian National Science Academy. Kamat was selected for his “most pioneering contributions to the world of science.” His fellowship will begin January 1, 2015.
Joining the Notre Dame faculty in 1983, Kamat’s research broadly focuses on improving energy conversion efficiencies by bridging gaps between physical chemistry and material science. Ongoing projects by his research group cover the areas of nanotechnology and materials chemistry, solar energy conversion, chemical processes in heterogeneous media, and solar fuels.
Kamat is a world-renowned scientist who has published more than 400 peer-reviewed publications. Citations of his work number in the tens of thousands, and earlier this year, the h-index measure of his research impact surpassed 100, a distinction achieved by only the world’s most elite scientists. Also this year, Kamat was included on Thomson Reuter’s list of The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds: 2014, which included scientists across the globe who have published the highest number of articles that are cited the most frequently by other researchers.
In addition to this new fellowship, Kamat is a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society, the American Chemical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The Indian National Science Academy was established in 1935 to promote scientific knowledge in India, including its practical applications to problems of national welfare. Currently, the academy has 862 fellows and 93 foreign fellows.