This award recognizes individuals, whose innovations are at the cusp of commercialization in a field related, at least in part, to ceramics and glasses. This award recognizes a member of the ceramics and glass research community for exceptional discovery or invention(s) that can, or have, led to innovative products and/or processes.
The Rishi Raj Medal for Innovation and Commercialization recognizes individuals, whose innovations are at the cusp or an early stage of commercialization. The innovation should be in a field related, at least in part, to ceramics and glasses.
The confluence of science, manufacturing, and software tools is leading to a new era of innovation and commercialization. Its impact will continue to be felt broadly in how we live, work, travel, and interact with one another and our environment. The endeavors receiving this award are expected to be high risk, but, nevertheless, the potential application of the work should be visionary and purposeful.
This award recognizes a member of the ceramics and glass research community for exceptional discovery or invention(s) that can, or have, led to innovative products and/or processes. Colleagues at all levels of careers in academia, industry and national labs are eligible. Membership in the American Ceramic Society is not required.
The Award is a medal, $2,500 award and registration waiver to attend ACerS Annual Meeting. The award is presented at the ACerS Annual Meeting Awards Banquet. One Medal will be presented each year.
Nomination Process
Nominations should consist of a concise description of the achievement (200 word maximum) that outlines its significance in terms of past, on-going or the potential for societal benefit through science and technology. Up to three one-page supplementary documents (e.g., support letters, pictures or product description) that would aid in the evaluation process should be submitted.
Membership in the Society is not required. However, the nominator should be a member of the American Ceramic Society. Self nominations are permitted.
Nominations not selected will be considered in following years (up to five years).
Award Namesake
The Rishi Raj Medal for Innovation and Commercialization was established through a gift from Rishi Raj. Prof. Raj has made significant contributions to ceramic science and technology. His noteworthy contributions are on the mechanical properties of ceramics, and the processing of oxide and non-oxide ceramics. His research has focused on both powder processing and polymer-derived-ceramics. Most significant recent contribution has been his discovery of flash sintering method for a wide range of ceramics and investigation of the influence of electric fields on defects in ceramics at high temperature.
Contact
Erica Zimmerman
ezimmerman@ceramics.org
Award Winners
Vince Harris
During his professional career, Vince Harris has assumed a multiplicity of roles including engineer, scientist, inventor, educator, entrepreneur, and S&T policy analyst, among others. He presently holds positions as University Distinguished Professor and William Lincoln Smith Chair Professor at Northeastern University, and CEO of Metamagnetics Inc. He earned the Ph.D. degree from Northeastern in Electrical Engineering and the Executive Technology Management masters from the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton Business School), in addition to two other graduate degrees and a B.Sc. in M.E.
Prior to his academic post, he held positions as Head of the Naval Research Laboratory’s Complex Materials Section and Chief of the Materials Physics Branch. His research interests have encompassed the development of a wide range of advanced materials, including magnetoceramics, used in sensors, radar, communication, and power electronics, rare earth element-based magnets; critical materials and global supply chain dynamics; and the impact of technology upon global climate change, among other technologies.
As founder and CEO of Metamagnetics Inc., a company that produces innovative solutions to the Defense and Aerospace communities, he has led efforts in the productization of self-biased circulators, Autotune Filters™, high-efficiency power conversion and conditioning components, among others. He has served as visiting scholar at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Naval Postgraduate School, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Fulbright Felllow, and as a Jefferson Science Fellow at the Department of State.
He has served in several international leadership roles including as Visiting Distinguished Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Nanjing University, and as a Foreign Expert Scholar of China’s Department of Foreign Expert Affairs, among others.
In recognition of his scholarship achievements, he has been elevated to Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), American Physical Society (APS), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), among other societies of distinction. He has received the ACerS’ W. David Kingery and Edward C. Henry Awards, the TMS’ Distinguished Scientist Award, Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Lee Hsun Research Award, and was named an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer on the topic of “RF Applications of Magnetoceramics”
He continues to actively serve his country as a subject matter expert and consultant to the U.S. Congress, Department of State, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Energy, DARPA, The National Academies, NASA, NATO, and other government agencies and NGOs.