Dr. Shankar Bhattacharyya, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University, was named the recipient of the Kenneth L. Clinton Award for his contribution to the Brazil Study Abroad Program in electrical and computer engineering. This award is given to faculty who led and facilitated study abroad programs. This year the awards were given to faculty in The Texas A&M University System who participated in study abroad programs in Mexico and Central America.
Bhattacharyya initiated the Brazil Engineering Study Abroad program in 2004 and has led a group of students every summer since 2005. He was chosen to start this program because of his experience and contacts in Brazilian academia and his fluency in Portuguese. Since 2005, the program has been conducted at Universities in Natal (Federal University), Campinas (State University of Campinas), Rio de Janeiro (Catholic University-PUC) and Sao Carlos (University of Sao Paolo). Aggies who attend these programs are co-enrolled with Brazilian students in their courses, which enriches their learning and cultural experiences.
Bhattacharyya’s awards and honors include National Academy of Sciences- NASA Research Fellow (1974-75), IEEE Fellow (1989), IFAC Fellow (2011), Foreign Member of Brazilian Academy of Sciences (2011), Foreign Member of Brazilian Academy of Engineering (2016) and Professor Visitante Especial by the Brazilian Research Council (2014-17). His research has been funded by the NSF for 34 years and also through the Qatar National Research Fund, National Instruments and the Brazilian Research Council.