“Materials science is an enabling science which connects us to technology and society. This aspect of materials fascinated me the most,” recalls Jagdish (Jay) Narayan of his decision to switch from mechanical engineering to materials as an undergraduate student at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. “I realized that major changes in our civilization have occurred as a result of materials revolutions—from stone, to iron, to bronze, to semiconductor. Everything is made out of materials—and the bottleneck for every new technology is often materials.”

Breaking those bottlenecks has been Narayan’s professional mission for nearly 40 years, with his many contributions most recently being recognized with the 2011 Acta Materialia Gold Medal and Prize. Acta Materialia, Inc. represents 33 professional societies worldwide in publishing two highly regarded international journals. Awarded by the Acta Materialia Board of Governors, the Gold Medal honors one exceptional person annually for lifetime achievements in materials science research and leadership. “I am deeply honored and profoundly humbled by this international recognition by my peers,” said Narayan, the North Carolina State University John C.C. Fan Family Distinguished Chair Professor, Materials Science and Engineering. “This is also very special because I published my first three papers in Acta journals.”

The path leading Narayan to many of his discoveries began at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned both his master’s degree and Ph.D. in just two years. “I realized very quickly that the property of every solid state material is controlled largely by defects and interfaces, grain boundaries included,” he said. “Using laser-based processing methods, it was possible for me to control the microstructure and create exciting materials with unique properties and profound implications for solid state devices.”
Read more about Jay Narayan's career in the June issue of JOM.