In the realm of Texan academia, Ashok Veeraraghavan, a trailblazing computer engineer and professor of Indian origin, has been honored with the prestigious Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in engineering. This accolade, considered one of the highest academic honors in the state, was bestowed upon him by the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science, and Technology (TAMEST).
TAMEST, an organization that recognizes emerging researchers in the state, singled out Veeraraghavan, who serves as a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the George R. Brown School of Engineering at Rice University. His groundbreaking work revolves around revolutionary imaging technology, aiming to unveil the imperceptible.
Bestowed annually, the engineering award from TAMEST is a tribute to exceptional researchers involved in pioneering endeavors in medicine, engineering, biological sciences, physical sciences, and technology innovation. Veeraraghavan’s group secured this year’s engineering accolade, lauded for their revolutionary imaging technology striving to bring the unseen into visibility, as per TAMEST’s official statement.
Hailing originally from Chennai, where a significant portion of his formative years unfolded, Veeraraghavan expressed his delight at receiving this esteemed recognition. He stated, “I am delighted to receive this award. It is the acknowledgment of the wonderful and innovative research that many students, postdocs, and research scientists in the computational imaging lab at Rice University have undertaken over the last decade.”
Veeraraghavan’s computational imaging lab delves into comprehensive research on imaging processes, encompassing optics and sensor design to machine learning processing algorithms. The aim is to confront imaging challenges that surpass the capabilities of existing technologies.
“Today, most imaging systems are crafted without considering these three aspects together; they are developed in isolation,” remarked Veeraraghavan. “Co-design introduces new degrees of freedom, enabling us to achieve imaging functionalities or performance capabilities that would otherwise be unattainable,” he added.
The core of Veeraraghavan’s research is dedicated to addressing imaging scenarios where the target for visualization remains elusive due to light scattering in participating media. He elucidated, “Whether it’s foggy conditions while driving, clouds obstructing satellite imaging, or skin acting as an obscurant in biological imaging, the common challenge is light interaction with participating media, leading to scattering and the loss of crucial image information.”
Highlighting the complexity of imaging through scattering media, he emphasized that it stands as one of the most formidable problems in the field. Veeraraghavan asserted that his lab has made substantial strides in advancing solutions to this challenging problem.
Congratulating Veeraraghavan on this achievement, Luay Nakhleh, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering and professor of computer science and biosciences at Rice, asserted, “He richly deserves this special recognition.” Notably, this is an extraordinary moment for the school, marking the second consecutive year that one of their faculty members receives the O’Donnell Award.
Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Rice’s executive vice president for research and a professor of materials science and nanoengineering, physics, and astronomy, lauded Veeraraghavan’s impact. “I’m pleased to see Ashok recognized with the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award, joining an accomplished group of prior Rice University recipients,” remarked Ramesh. He underscored the profound implications of Veeraraghavan’s research, emphasizing its applications across diverse fields such as human health, microscopy, national security, autonomous vehicles, photography, and beyond.