Established in 1980, the award recognizes scholarly or creative excellence represented by a single contribution or a series of contributions around a coherent theme. A committee of peers reviews nominations and selects candidates.

Venkatraman Gopalan, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering is recognized for his contributions in the area of electro-optic materials and devices, focusing on three main aspects. He has discovered a new rotational-reversal symmetry that is present in all materials that are handed or have static rotations; including this symmetry significantly expands the classification of crystal structures within the traditional group theory. He has built a unique experimental nonlinear optical microscopy technique that has helped discover new local polar phases in well-known crystals. He has participated in an international collaboration with John Badding in the chemistry department at Penn State and Pier Sazio of the University of Southampton in inventing fiber-based metamaterials that incorporate crystalline semiconductors within an optic fiber and in demonstrating all-fiber devices that create, modulate and detect light within the fiber.

“Professor Gopalan has made a series of creative scholarly contributions to the fields of complex oxides and metamaterials during the last five years that will have longstanding impact in the field of materials,” a nominator wrote. During that period alone, he has authored or co-authored close to 100 publications, including about 10 in such high-impact journals as Science, Nature and Nature Materials.

Associate director of Penn State’s Center for Optical Technologies, Gopalan earned a bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology and master’s and doctoral degrees from Cornell University.

For a complete list of medal winners, click here.