Ep. 42 : Conversation with Akhlesh Lakhtakia - Electromagnetics, Biomimicry and Indo-US Higher Education

Akhlesh Lakhtakia is a distinguished Evan Pugh University Professor and Charles Godfrey Binder Professor within the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Pennsylvania State University : https://sites.esm.psu.edu/~axl4/ As per Penn state website, he (recently) served as an expert consultant for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, as chair of the U.S.-India Higher Education Partnerships Committee and as a Jefferson Science Fellow (his term ended recently). With over four decades of academic excellence, Lakhtakia is renowned for his pioneering research in complex material electromagnetics, particularly sculptured thin films, chiral materials, and biomimetic applications. As a leading figure in his field, Lakhtakia continues to inspire and influence the next generation of researchers and scholars. In this episode, we discuss his journey from Lucknow to Pennsylvania, scholarship, writing process, life as an academic, and his recent efforts to build Indo-U.S. relations in higher education. Listen, as we humanize science. References : 1.     “Akhlesh Lakhtakia.” 2023. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Akhlesh_Lakhtakia&oldid=1169384975. 2.     Website: Accessed February 17, 2024. https://sites.esm.psu.edu/~axl4/. 3.     “Akhlesh Lakhtakia - Evan Pugh University Professor - Penn State University | LinkedIn.” n.d. Accessed February 17, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/akhlesh-lakhtakia-767556109. 4.     “‪Akhlesh Lakhtakia - ‪Google Scholar.” n.d. Accessed February 17, 2024. https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=wC7o_VAAAAAJ&hl=en. 5.     “Biologically Inspired Design: A Primer | SpringerLink.” n.d. Accessed February 17, 2024. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-02091-9. 6.     “Craig Bohren.” 2023. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Craig_Bohren&oldid=1192250085. 7.     “Jefferson Science Fellow - Lakhtakia Bio.” n.d. Accessed February 17, 2024. https://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/Jefferson/PGA_377438. 8.     Lakhtakia, Akhlesh. 2013. “So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye!” Journal of Nanophotonics 7 (1): 070198. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JNP.7.070198. 9.     Nehru, Jawaharlal, and C. D. Narasimhaiah. 1989. India Rediscovered. Oxford University Press. 10.  Robbie, K., M. J. Brett, and A. Lakhtakia. 1996. “Chiral Sculptured Thin Films.” Nature 384 (6610): 616–616. https://doi.org/10.1038/384616a0. 11.  “The Far Side Comic Strip by Gary Larson - Official Website | TheFarSide.Com.” n.d. Accessed February 17, 2024. https://www.thefarside.com/.