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The National Academy of Engineering has named Padma Shri recipient Sethuraman Panchanathan as the winner of the 2026 Arthur M. Bueche Award.
The award recognizes an engineer who has demonstrated “active involvement in determining U.S. science and technology policy, promoting technological development, and contributing to the enhancement of the relationship between industries, government and universities.”
Panchanathan will receive the award in October during the National Academy of Engineering’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
In a September 1 statement, Arizona State University recalled an experience that helped shape Panchanathan’s interest in science and engineering. In 1969, when he was 8 years old, Panchanathan waited outside the American Center in Chennai, India, with his father and hundreds of others to see moon rocks brought back by the Apollo 11 mission.
As he approached the gray pebbles displayed beneath glass, Panchanathan was captivated not by the rocks themselves, but by the scientific achievement they represented.
“The rocks were just rocks,” Panchanathan recalled in the statement. “But what fascinated me was all the human ingenuity and scientific prowess that went into bringing them here.”
The experience would help shape his life and career. Panchanathan, an engineer, is a University Professor of Technology and Innovation at ASU and a former director of the National Science Foundation. Throughout his career, he has studied and helped build modern engineering and scientific systems designed to advance knowledge and benefit humanity, including the types of systems that made the moon missions possible, according to the statement.
“Panch is one of the most remarkable systems thinkers we have in this country,” ASU President Michael M. Crow said, acknowledging Panchanathan’s achievements. “This award is a national recognition of what we have known here at ASU for some time, which is that when big problems need to be solved, Panch needs to be in the room.”
Panchanathan served as the 15th director of the National Science Foundation during a period that included the COVID-19 pandemic and the effort to develop a vaccine. His tenure also saw the establishment of the agency’s first new directorate in more than 30 years.
The directorate seeks to accelerate the application of science and technology to support “economic progress, national security and societal impact” through local and regional innovation hubs across the country.
“I’m honored and humbled by this recognition,” Panchanathan said. “Awards like this are never only about the individual. They are about the scores of people that have contributed to the outcomes recognized. I owe my inspiration to my family, teachers and mentors, and to the many students and colleagues I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with throughout my career.”
Panchanathan was nominated for the award by the president of the University of Arizona. Although the university is ASU’s athletic rival, the two institutions collaborate closely in advancing higher education across the state.
“I am delighted to congratulate my friend and colleague Sethuraman Panchanathan on this well-deserved recognition from the National Academy of Engineering,” University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella said. “I have had the privilege of witnessing Panch’s combination of scientific vision and genuine commitment to expanding opportunity over many years and across many roles. Few people I know have translated those qualities into more lasting impact for our nation and the world.”
Before his appointment to the NSF, Panchanathan oversaw ASU’s research portfolio as head of Knowledge Enterprise and served as the university’s chief research and innovation officer, according to the statement. During his tenure, the university’s research volume tripled, and U.S. News & World Report ranked ASU as the country’s most innovative university.
Since returning to ASU, Panchanathan has focused on “artificial intelligence, quantum computing and the future of higher education.” In April, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego appointed him to lead the city’s quantum strategy.
“He is also developing a vision for higher education in an age of artificial intelligence that will stress cultivating students’ mindsets and forging closer partnerships between universities and industries in high-tech fields,” the statement added.
Panchanathan was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2024, an honor considered among the highest distinctions for an American engineer. He is the first Indian American and the first Arizonan to receive the Bueche Award in its more than 40-year history.
In 2025, Panchanathan received the Padma Shri, one of India’s prestigious civilian honors. As the United States marked its 250th anniversary, Indiaspora featured him in an initiative chronicling 250 moments recognizing the achievements of Indian Americans. He was also included on the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum’s list of 250 influential voices that have shaped the U.S.-India relationship.
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