Prof. Pendyala Balarama Rao
Hon. Distinguished Faculty for Research, IARSc, Bangalore
Received B.Sc (Hons) Physics (1958), M.Sc. Radio Physics (1959) and Ph.D. Ionospheric Physics (1963), all from Andhra University, Waltair, India. Worked as Research Associate – Electroscience Laboratory, Ohio State University, USA: 1964 – 1965 and National Center for Ionosphere and Astronomy, Cornell University, USA: 1965 – 1968 ; Senior Scientist – Sudbury Laboratory, Raytheon Company, USA: 1968 – 1975 ; Professor – Space Physics & Electronics, University of Kerala, India : 1976 – 1990 ; Director – National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), Department of Space :1990 – 1998; Visiting Professor – NARL: 1998 – 2002; Visiting Scientist – Kyoto University, Japan : January – May 2000; Continues with Department of Space as Visiting Professor (Honorary) at the National Remote Sensing Centre since 2002.
Published more than 130 papers in Space & Atmospheric Sciences. Received Raytheon Distinguished Author Award – 1974; Asian Ocean & Geosciences (AOGS) Distinguished Lecture Award – 2008 and Elected Fellow of Indian Academy of Sciences – 1996. Served on several national committees, which include the INSA national committees of COSPAR and URSI; Department of Space Committees like Advisory Committee for Space Sciences (ADCOS), Scientific Advisory Committee of the Space Physics Laboratory (SPL), VSSC and the Scientific Advisory Committee of the National Atmospheric Research laboratory (NARL).