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Newsmakers of the Week AUGUST 01, 2025 | The Indian Eye 32

NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK

Selected stories about Indian diaspora from our website www.theindianeye.com

Dr. SK Sundaram “All active Distinguished faculty are members of the SUNY Distinguished

Academy (DA) which builds and supports academic excellence by leveraging
named to SUNY the skills, expertise, and talents of the Distinguished faculty.
As a member of the SUNY Distinguished Academy, Dr. Sundaram
joins a select group of faculty dedicated to elevating educational excel-
Distinguished Academy lence, research impact, and cross-campus innovation throughout the
SUNY system.

Arjun Erigaisi creates

history in Freestyle Chess

Grand Slam Tour

ndian Grandmaster and World Number 5 Arjun Erigaisi has created his-
tory by becoming the first Indian ever to reach the semifinals of the pres-
Itigious Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, currently taking place in Las
r. SK Sundaram, the Inamori Professor of Materials Science and En- Vegas.
gineering at Alfred University’s New York State College of Ceramics, The 21-year-old prodigy secured his place in the final four with a clinical
Dhas been selected for the prestigious State University of New York 1.5 - 0.5 victory over World No. 7 Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the quarterfinals,
(SUNY) Distinguished Academy as part of the 2024 25 cohort. as per a press release from MGD1.
Since his Inamori Professorship appointment in 2011—backed by the $10 Arjun won the first rapid game and drew the second, eliminating the Uz-
million Kyocera endowment honoring ceramics pioneer Kazuo Inamori—Dr. bek star in a format that rewards creativity over memorised openings.
Sundaram has built an international reputation. His two-decade career spans Arjun had earlier advanced from the round-robin stage with a strong
senior scientific roles at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and ground- showing, scoring 4 points from 7 games, including 3 wins and 2 draws, against a
breaking research in photon–matter interactions across visible to terahertz field packed with global heavyweights. His imaginative and fearless approach
frequencies. His work has resulted in over 150 publications, 170 technical pre- in the Chess960 (Freestyle) format has drawn widespread attention from the
sentations, leadership in scientific societies, and mentorship of more than 100 global chess community.
students Arjun now joins Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian, and Hans Niemann in
Since 1963, the SUNY Board of Trustees has conferred the rank of Dis- the upper-bracket semifinals, placing him among the most elite minds in mod-
tinguished Faculty upon those individuals who have demonstrated a commit- ern chess. His next match, against seasoned Grandmaster Levon Aronian, is
ment to excellence, kindle intellectual vibrancy, elevate the standards of in- scheduled for July 19.
struction, and enrich contributions to public service. Appointment constitutes This breakthrough further strengthens India’s growing presence in world
a promotion to the State University’s highest academic rank. chess, particularly in newer, format-defining arenas such as Freestyle Chess.
“Distinguished faculty serve as role models. They give lectures and sem- With this result, Arjun also earns valuable points towards the overall Grand
inars, inform curricular reform, improve the overall academic experience of Slam standings and continues his impressive 2025 season, which has already
students, mentor junior faculty, and lead inquiry into issues of importance to seen him surpass the coveted 2800 rating mark.
SUNY and society,” according to the SUNY Distinguished Academy website. Continued on next page... >>

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