Our Bureau
Orlando, FL
The Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida inducted 2 new Indian American members – Prasant Mohapatra & Dipen Parekh and awarded 2 more Indian Americans – Ranajay Ghosh & Hariom Yadav with the 2024 Rising Stars awards on November 1. These distinguished and impactful researchers and professionals in the US were honored at a special ceremony at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management in Orlando.
“ASEMFL is an organization that brings together the collective wisdom of National Academy members and other individuals who have made significant accomplishments in science, engineering and medicine,” said Michael Georgiopoulos, the ASEMFL executive director and the dean of the UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science. With the addition of this year’s inductees, the total membership of ASEMFL nears 250.
A Brief profile of the 2024 inductees are:
Prasant Mohapatra – Provost and Executive Vice President, University of South Florida for exemplary leadership in academic affairs and research while making an impact on the quality, performance, and security of wireless networks
Dipen Parekh – Chief Operating Officer of the University of Miami Health System and Professor and Chair of the Urology Department, University of Miami for leadership in advancing genitourinary surgery excellence, establishing that robotic cystectomy was not inferior to open abdomen cystectomy surgery.
Apart from the inductees, the ASEMFL also awarded the 2024 Rising Stars and honored them for their contributions to their field. Both awardees are potential future ASEMFL inductees.
The 2024 Rising Stars, listed by category, are:
Under the Engineering category, Ranajay Ghosh – Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Central Florida for pioneering research in nonlinear metamaterials and metasurfaces, significantly advancing the understanding of their nonlinear elasticity, dynamics and dissipative behavior with applications to aerospace and robotics.
Under the Medicine category, Hariom Yadav – Associate Professor, Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, University of South Florida for revolutionizing aging research by linking microbiome modulation to improved brain, heart and muscle health.
“ASEMFL recognizes the importance of new investigators whose work shows great promise in addressing critical issues towards ensuring the growth and success of its mission,” says Angela Laird, the ASEMFL secretary and a Distinguished University Professor at Florida International University.
Through the Rising Stars program, ASEMFL hopes to engage with mid-career researchers more actively throughout the State of Florida.
Housed at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, ASEMFL is a not-for-profit organization of top scholars and researchers from universities, public agencies and industries statewide.
