Two SUNY Professors Elected to the National Academy of Engineering

February 9, 2018

Amit Goyal and Stanley Whittingham Honored for Advancements in Science and Engineering

Albany – Two SUNY faculty have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, which is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer: Amit Goyal, an internationally recognized materials scientist and director of the University at Buffalo’s RENEW Institute; and M. Stanley Whittingham, distinguished professor of chemistry and materials science and engineering at Binghamton University.

Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature" and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education."

"Dr. Goyal’s and Dr. Whittingham’s innovative work demonstrates the widespread influence of SUNY, its faculty, and our research," said SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson. "Their dedication to their research makes SUNY a leader and change agent, both nationally and internationally, in materials science and industrial technology. We take great pride in their accomplishments and congratulate them both on this prestigious honor."  

Amit Goyal, who was elected based on "materials science advances and contributions enabling commercialization of high-temperature superconducting materials," arrived at University at Buffalo in January 2015 as the founding director of RENEW, an interdisciplinary institute dedicated to research and education on globally pressing problems in energy, environment and water.

"On behalf of the University at Buffalo, I would like to extend my congratulations to Professor Goyal on his election into the National Academy of Engineering. This well-deserved honor is in recognition of Professor Goyal’s seminal contributions to the field of material science. This honor is an inspiration to all who seek to push the boundaries of their respective fields to improve the well-being of humanity," said University at Buffalo President Satish K. Tripathi.

Goyal’s research has had a profound impact on the field of high-temperature superconductivity, both in fundamental materials science and in the transition of scientific discoveries from the laboratory to the marketplace. In 2014, he was elected to the National Academy of Inventors.

M. Stanley Whittingham came to Binghamton University in 1988 after 16 years at Exxon Research and Engineering Company, where he received the patent for a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and Schlumberger-Doll Research. In his 30-plus year career, he has been a pioneer in the development of lithium-ion batteries and his work has been called foundational by colleagues at all levels. He holds the original patent on the concept of the use of intercalation chemistry in high-power density, highly reversible lithium batteries – work that provided the basis for subsequent discoveries that now power most laptop computers.

"Binghamton is very proud that the National Academy of Engineering has chosen to elect Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Stanley Whittingham to its ranks," said Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger. "Professor Whittingham’s work has fundamentally changed the way the world stores and utilizes energy, making possible a revolution in consumer and industrial technologies. For nearly 30 years, Professor Whittingham has been one of the most visible and productive researchers at the University, and all of us at Binghamton congratulate him on this great honor."

With 16 patents and more than 300 publications in leading scholarly journals, Whittingham has earned a national and international reputation as a prolific scientist. At Binghamton, Whittingham has also helped to establish the Materials Science and Engineering Program, bringing his creativity and innovation to the University’s graduate curriculum as well as to its laboratories.

Goyal and Whittingham are two of 83 new members and 16 foreign members announced, bringing the academy’s total U.S. membership to 2,293 and the number of foreign members to 262. Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the NAE’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30, 2018.

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.


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