NEW YORK (TIP): Professor P. Somasundaran has been appointed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. to serve as a member of its Board of Scientific Counselors and to chair the ‘combined BOSC Subcommittees for Chemical Safety for Sustainability and Human Health Risk Assessment research program” and as such to the Board’s Executive Committee effective April l 28, 2014.

Board members of this committee must have shown extraordinary accomplishments in the field to be invited to serve The committee’s mission is to provide advice and recommendations on science and engineering research programs, plans, labs, and research management practices; the use of peer review to promote sound science; the development and progress of plans of the EPA’s R&D office; the quality of technical products; and human resources planning. Somasundaran is an expert in surface and colloid science, enhanced oil and coal recovery, nanoparticles, biosurfaces, and biosensors.

He is the author of 15 books and more than 700 scientific publications and patents.. Somasundaran, La von Duddleson Krumb Professor at Columbia University, is the founding Director of Langmuir Center for Colloids & Interfaces, and director of the National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Particulate and Surfactant Systems.

His work strives toward designing greener surfactant systems for an environmentally conscious market. Author and editor of 22 books and 700 scientific publications, Somasundaran is a 1985 inductee of the National Academy of Engineering, highest honor for an engineer at that time, and subsequently of the corresponding academies of China, India, Russia, and the Balkan Academy of Sciences/MT and the sole 2012 foreign member of the Royal Society of Canada,.

Somasundaran has been honored with many awards, including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor (1990), Gaudin Award (1982), Mill Man of Distinction Award (1983), Publication Board Award (l980), Richards Award(l987), Taggart Award for best paper (1987), Henry Krumb Lecturer of the Year (1989), Distinguished Member of SME (1983), “Most Distinguished Achievement in Engineering” award from AINA (1980), Distinguished Alumnus (1989 sole award) and the first Brahm Prakash Chair from the Indian Institute of Science (1990), Engineering Foundation’s Aplan award (1992), AIME Mineral Industry Education Award (2006), Columbia Alumni Association and the ACAA Distinguished Achievement Award (2007), MEANA Engineer of the Year Award (2007), Fellowship of theAmerican Institute of Chemical Engineers (2009), the Leadership Citation from the New Jersey Senate in 1991, and the title of Pan American Advisor for Mines, Metallurgy and Materials.

He was awarded Padma Shri(among the highest civil award by the Government of India) by the President of India 2010. He is the author/editor of 15 books and close to 700 scientific publications and patents the Honorary Editor-inchief of the international journal “Colloids and Surfaces,” the Editor-in- Chief of “The Encyclopedia of Surface and Colloid Science” and has served on many international, national and professional committees and National Research Council Panels, NSF research and advisory panels, DOI Advisory Panel and university research advisory panels.

He served in the Congress’ 28th Environmental Advisory Committee. He was the Chairman of the Board of the Engineering Foundation (1993-95) and has served on the board of the SME/AIME (1982-85). In the community, he served as member of the Piermont Planning Board and Citizen Advisory Committee and currently as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals and Board of the Volunteers in Service to Education in India.