Two Indian Americans are among 72 new members inducted into the prestigious National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in Washington. In recognition of their distinguished achievements in original research, agricultural economist Prabhu Pingali and physicist Katepalli Sreenivasan were among the 18 foreign associates included in the academy last week.

Prabhu Pingali, from Andhra Pradesh, India has devoted his entire career to agriculture in developing countries, living and working in all three developing continents. His research and advisory work has focused on technological change, environmental externalities, and agricultural development policy. He has published prolifically, authoring (or co-authoring) 9 books and 90 journal articles and book chapters.

¤   Director, Agricultural and Development Economics Division, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy, September 2002 �present

¤   Director, Economics Program, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Mexico, June 1996 � August 2002
¤   Program Leader and Agricultural Economist, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, April 1987 to June 1996
¤   Visiting Scholar, Stanford University, Food Research Institute, May - August 1994
¤   Affiliate Professor (Concurrent appointment), University of the Philippines at Los Ba�os, April 1987 to 1996
¤   Economist (Consultant), World Bank, Agriculture and Rural Development Department , Washington, DC, Sept. 1982 - March 1987
¤   Ph.D (Economics) North Carolina State University at Raleigh, 1982
¤   Master of Arts (Honours) in Economics, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India, 1977
¤   Vice-President, International Association of Agricultural Economists (1997-2000)
¤   President, International Association of Agricultural Economists (2003-2006)

Mr Sreenivasan is professor of physics and mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland.