Asian American engineering honorees credit families for success
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. â€" Two scientists at Sandia National Laboratories thought back to their roots when they won Asian American Engineer of the Year (AAEOY) awards: Somuri Prasad to a village in India and Patrick Feng to a refuge in America
(Media-Newswire.com) - ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Two scientists at Sandia National Laboratories thought back to their roots when they won Asian American Engineer of the Year ( AAEOY ) awards: Somuri Prasad to a village in India and Patrick Feng to a refuge in America
Prasad’s father helped found the first school in his native Pasumarru in the Krishna District of southern India. Feng’s parents fled political and economic hardships in China and Yugoslavia for a better life in Hawaii.
“Both were products of trying times,” Feng said of his parents. “They came to the same conclusion about the importance of education. It shaped our family’s world view.”
Prasad’s father was influenced by Indian leaders Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who promoted a free education for all. “When I was asked for input on my award nomination I said I should start with my roots and parents,” Prasad said. “I belong to a generation of Asian-Americans whose parents and forefathers lived under colonial rule with no easy access to post-elementary-school education. They worked so hard and made many sacrifices to make sure that people like me got a decent education. This award is a tribute to them.”
Prasad and Feng are the 15th and 16th Sandia labs researchers honored with an AAEOY award, Prasad as Engineer of the Year and Feng as Most Promising Engineer. The prestigious recognition program was started in 2001 by the Chinese Institute of Engineers-USA to honor outstanding Asian-American professionals in science and engineering for their leadership, technical achievement and public service. This year’s 14th annual awards ceremony will be held Feb. 28 in Los Angeles as a finale to National Engineers Week.
Paid his dues to India
Prasad was a child in the 1950s when his father, a farmer, became mayor of his village as India won independence from Great Britain. “He immediately realized that children can’t walk several miles on dirt and gravel roads in pursuit of a high school education,” Prasad said. “He knew they wouldn’t have a future without higher education.”
He and other village elders founded a high school that paid rich dividends. Several graduates of the school went on to become physicians, scientists and engineers.
Prasad graduated in metallurgical engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Warangal, and earned a master’s degree, also in metallurgy, from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. In 1977, he earned a doctorate in materials science from the University of Sussex, England, mentored by famed metallurgist Robert Cahn. Prasad returned to India and worked 12 years as a scientist and assistant director in the Indian Council of Scientific & Industrial Research Labs. “I was inspired by Robert to go back to my roots,” Prasad said. “I didn’t initially set my goals to pursue a career in the United States until I paid my dues to India.”
Related Content
Published by:
Release Date
This story was released on 2015-02-26. Please make sure to visit the official company or organization web site to learn more about the original release date. See our disclaimer for additional information.