ACerS is pleased to announce Kalpana Katti has been selected for Volunteer Spotlight, a program that recognizes a member who demonstrates outstanding service to The American Ceramic Society through volunteerism.
Katti is a Distinguished Professor at North Dakota State University. She received a B.S. in physics from the University of Delhi, an M.S. in solid state physics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Washington.
Katti’s primary areas of research involve mechanobiology, tissue engineering, cancer scaffolds, and biomimetics. Her group has made significant breakthroughs, such as the discovery of the third-tier hierarchy in collagen structure, the discovery of the interlocking of platelets in nacre, and the description of the important role of mineral–protein interactions in bone mechanics.
Katti is an advocate for women scientists and students and has made consistent efforts to increase diversity in STEM areas. For example, at North Dakota State University, she participated in the core faculty team that put together a successful National Science Foundation ADVANCE grant to create the university’s FORWARD program, which aims to recruit, retain, and promote women faculty. Katti also routinely gives talks to students in local K–12 schools and hosts female students in her laboratory.
Katti is the current chair of the Bioceramics Division and previously served as the Division’s vice chair. In these roles, she helped introduce a women’s interactive panel event that is hosted online once a year by the Division. This event provides a forum for women bioceramicists to interact and hear about success stories from role models.
We extend our deep appreciation to Katti for her service to our Society!
