Dr. Ramamoorthy Ramesh stands as a preeminent leader in materials science whose groundbreaking work has reshaped the field of complex functional materials. He currently serves as Executive Vice President for Research at Rice University, where he holds professorships in the Department of Materials Science and Nanoengineering and the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Prior to this role, which he assumed in 2022, he was the Purnendu Chatterjee Chair Professor of Physics and Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, where he maintained a distinguished faculty position since 2004. His academic journey began with undergraduate studies in chemistry at Madras University and metallurgy at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, culminating in advanced degrees in materials science and engineering from UC Berkeley. Throughout his career, Dr. Ramesh has held significant leadership positions including Deputy Director at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Associate Laboratory Director at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, demonstrating his exceptional capacity to bridge academic research with national laboratory infrastructure.
Dr. Ramesh's seminal contributions to the science of complex correlated oxides have fundamentally advanced our understanding of multifunctional materials, particularly through his pioneering work on multiferroics where he first demonstrated electric field control of ferromagnetism, a breakthrough that opened pathways to ultralow-power memory and logic elements. His innovative research solved the 30-year enigma of polarization fatigue in ferroelectrics through precise control of electrode-ferroelectric interfaces, while his early work on manganites established the foundation for the field of Colossal Magnetoresistive (CMR) Oxides. With an impressive scholarly record of over 675 publications and more than 100,000 citations yielding an h-index exceeding 150, his research has been recognized with the prestigious Thomson Reuters Citation Laureate in Physics for his transformative work on multiferroics. The practical applications of his discoveries extend to energy-efficient computing technologies, including the development of the Magnetoelectric Spin-Orbit Coupled (MESO) logic/memory device requiring only approximately 1 attoJoule of energy, representing a paradigm shift toward beyond-Moore's Law electronics.
Beyond his direct research contributions, Dr. Ramesh has significantly shaped the broader scientific landscape through visionary leadership in major national initiatives, most notably as Founding Director of the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative, where he spearheaded efforts to reduce solar electricity costs to grid parity. His influence extends to numerous prestigious appointments including membership in the United States National Academy of Engineering, election as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society, and recognition by the Indian National Science Academy, reflecting his global impact on materials science. Dr. Ramesh actively cultivates the next generation of scientists through extensive mentorship and continues to drive innovation as co-founder of Kepler Computing, which focuses on low-power computing using ferroelectric materials. Currently directing Rice University's research enterprise, he remains deeply engaged in advancing the frontiers of materials science, particularly through his work on atomic-scale synthesis of complex oxide heterostructures and 2D materials, positioning his research to continue addressing critical challenges in energy-efficient electronics for decades to come.
