NATICK, Mass. – Dr. Ramanathan “Nagu” Nagarajan, a senior research scientist at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, or DEVCOM SC, has been chosen for the prestigious 2021 Presidential Rank Award in the Meritorious Senior Professional category for the Department of the Army. Nagarajan serves as the Senior Research Scientist – Soldier Nanomaterials at DEVCOM SC.
The Presidential Rank Award recognizes a select group of executives and senior professionals who have provided exceptional service to the American people and have made sustained contributions to the effectiveness of the government. Nagarajan was one of 24 senior scientific and technical professionals recognized across 37 agencies. He was one of four recipients from the Army Futures Command and one of three recipients from DEVCOM. President Joseph Biden selected the award recipients from nominations submitted by the Office of Personnel Management.
"The work of Dr. Nagarajan exemplifies the Soldier Center's commitment to advancing science and technology solutions that ensure America’s warfighters are optimized, protected, and lethal," said Douglas Tamilio, director of DEVCOM SC. "The Presidential Rank Awards recognize an elite group of senior professionals, and I commend Dr. Nagarajan and all who support his work for our warfighters. Our workforce is fueling the spirit of innovation to provide our warfighters the best capabilities science has to offer."
The award reflects DEVCOM SC’s commitment to providing warfighters with next-generation capabilities.
“I believe my selection for the award was influenced by the multiple Soldier domain challenges for the future, tackled in my research, resulting scholarship through publications, mentorship of students and postdocs who collaborated in all my work and eventually were added on to the DEVCOM workforce, and my active engagement with academia to serve as a link between DEVCOM and the academic community,” said Nagarajan.
For his receiving the award, Nagarajan is quick to credit outstanding young researchers he has mentored and with whom he has collaborated, as well as the efficiency and support of administrative staff.
“Receiving an award is always gratifying and this is the highest recognition afforded to a Government scientist,” said Nagarajan. “But I know that behind this recognition stand a number of young researchers who contributed to it and also helped maintain a culture of curiosity, as well as many administrative staff who make many things needed for a research environment happen.”
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The DEVCOM Soldier Center is committed to discovering, developing, and advancing science and technology solutions that ensure America’s warfighters are optimized, protected, and lethal. DEVCOM Soldier Center supports all of the Army's Modernization efforts, with the Soldier Lethality and Synthetic Training Environment Cross Functional Teams being the DEVCOM Soldier Center’s chief areas of focus. The center’s science and engineering expertise are combined with collaborations with industry, DOD, and academia to advance Soldier and squad performance. The center supports the Army as it transforms from being adaptive to driving innovation to support a Multi-Domain Operations Capable Force of 2028 and a MDO Ready Force of 2035. DEVCOM Soldier Center is constantly working to strengthen Soldiers’ performance to increase readiness and support for warfighters who are organized, trained, and equipped for prompt and sustainable ground combat.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) outreach and mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers is also an important part of the mission of DEVCOM Soldier Center. The mentoring of students by Army scientists and engineers benefits the students and their communities. It also increases young people's awareness of potential Army job opportunities and helps provide the Army with potential new talent, helping to fuel innovative ideas that benefit the nation's warfighters and the nation as a whole.
DEVCOM Soldier Center is part of DEVCOM. Through collaboration across the command's core technical competencies, DEVCOM leads in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more lethal to win our nation's wars and come home safely. DEVCOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command.
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