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    The Indian Eye
                                            COMING TO AMERICA                                                                               14
                                                                                                                         JULY 10, 2026

               Achieving the American Dream:

                                 My Journey in America

                                                                                                                  rials research. I subsequently joined
                                                                                                                  Business Communications Compa-
                                                                                                                  ny (BCC), where I advanced from
                                                                                                                  Director of the Advanced Materials
                                                                                                                  Group to Vice President.
                                                                                                                      My work focused on advanced
                                                                                                                  ceramics, composite materials, and
                                                                                                                  emerging  technologies.  During  the
                                                                                                                  1990s,  I  recognized  the  enormous
                                                                                                                  commercial potential of nanomate-
                                                                                                                  rials  and  nanotechnology  long  be-
                                                                                                                  fore  the  field  entered  mainstream
                  DR. THOMAS ABRAHAM                                                                              discussion. In 1998, I organized one
                                                                                                                  of the world’s first international con-
                     hen I left India in 1973 to                                                                  ferences and exhibitions dedicated
                     pursue graduate studies in                                                                   to  the  commercialization  of  nano-
            Wthe United States, I carried                                                                         technology in New York City. These
            with me one suitcase, an engineering                                                                  annual conferences brought together
            education, $75 in my pocket and a                                                                     scientists, entrepreneurs, investors,
            dream. Like thousands of young In-                                                                    and industry leaders from around
            dians  of  my  generation,  I  came  not                                                              the world and helped accelerate the
            in search of wealth but in pursuit                                                                    transition  of  nanotechnology  from
            of  knowledge,  opportunity,  and  the                                                                research laboratories to commercial
            chance to contribute to society.                                                                      applications.
                Looking  back  over  more  than                                                                       Driven by an entrepreneurial
            five  decades,  I  realize  that  my  own                                                             spirit, I later founded Innovative
            journey  mirrors  the  larger  story  of   ages  of  graduate  students  in  engi-  engineering, medicine, higher educa-  Research and Products (IRAP), a
            Indian Americans—students who     neering  and  the  applied  sciences.   tion, information technology, entre-  technology  research,  consulting,
            became scientists, engineers who be-  Indian students answered that call in   preneurship, and public service. We   publishing, and conference company.
            came entrepreneurs, and immigrants   large numbers.                 were fortunate to become part of one   Building a company from the ground
            who  helped  strengthen  both  Amer-  Nearly half the graduate students   of the greatest periods of technolog-  up fulfilled a lifelong dream and gave
            ica and India while building vibrant   in my department at Columbia were   ical innovation in American history.  me the opportunity to work with in-
            communities across the world.     from India. Similar scenes could be   My own professional career be-  novators, entrepreneurs, Fortune
                After graduating from Malaviya   found at engineering schools across   gan  as  a  Research  Metallurgist  at   500 companies, research laborato-
            Regional Engineering College (now   America.  That  generation  of  Indi-  the University of Denver and later   ries,  and  governments  on  emerging
            Malaviya National Institute of Tech-  an  students  would  go  on  to  make   at Brookhaven National Laboratory,   technologies.
            nology) in Jaipur, Rajasthan, I briefly   important contributions  in  science,   where I worked on advanced mate-  While my professional career
            served as a lecturer at my alma ma-                                                                   provided great satisfaction, I always
            ter before working as a metallurgist                                                                  believed that success carries with it a
            in  Jodhpur.  Although  these  were                                                                   responsibility to serve others.
            rewarding positions, I aspired to pur-                                                                    Soon after arriving in New York,
            sue advanced education and research                                                                   I became involved in the Indian
            in the United States.                                                                                 American community. At that time,
                That opportunity came in early                                                                    the Indian diaspora was still relative-
            1973 when I received a fellowship to                                                                  ly small, and there were few organi-
            study for my Master’s and Ph.D. at                                                                    zations representing the interests of
            the Henry Krumb School of Mines                                                                       immigrants from India. I felt that as
            of Columbia University in New York                                                                    our community grew, we needed in-
            City,  one  of  America’s  oldest  engi-                                                              stitutions that could preserve our cul-
            neering schools.                                                                                      tural heritage, advocate for our civil
                The timing was significant. Fol-                                                                  rights, encourage civic participation,
            lowing the passage of the 1965 Immi-                                                                  and help future generations succeed.
            gration and Nationality Act, America                                                                      Over  the  past  five  decades,  I
            opened its doors to talented profes-                                                                  have  had  the  privilege  of  helping
            sionals from around the world based                                                                   establish  or  lead  several  organiza-
            on merit rather than national origin.                                                                 tions  that have become important
            At the  same time, many American                                                                      institutions within the Indian Amer-
            universities were experiencing short-                                                                        Continued on next page... >>

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