Arati Prabhakar, American federal administration research director, electrical engineer. Research fellow California Institute of Technology, 1979-1984, graduate research program for women Bell Laboratories, 1979, 80; named Distinguished Engineer of 1994, Texas Technology University; elected to Texas Technology Electrical Engineering Academy, 1994; recipient Distinguished Alumni award California Institute of Technology, 1995.
Background
Prabhakar immigrated to the United States from her birthplace of New Delhi, India at age three. Her mother was seeking an advanced degree in social work in Chicago. Prabhakar grew up in Lubbock, Texas, from age ten.
Her mother encouraged her to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy from a very early age.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Texas Tech University, 1979. Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1980. Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, 1984.
Doctor of Engineering (honorary), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1995.
Career
She headed National Institute of Standards and Technology (The National Institute of Standards and Technology) from 1993 to 1997, and was the first female to head The National Institute of Standards and Technology.
She has a 1979 bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Texas Technical University in Lubbock, Texas. She was the first woman to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in applied physics from Caltech. After receiving her Doctor of Philosophy, she went to Washington, District of Columbia on a 1984 to 1986 congressional fellowship with the Office of Technology Assessment.
Prabhakar subsequently worked at Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency from 1986 to 1993, initially as a program manager but later as the founding director of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency"s Microelectronics Technology Office.
At the age of 34, Prabhakar was appointed the head of National Institute of Standards and Technology (The National Institute of Standards and Technology), a position she held from 1993 to 1997. After The National Institute of Standards and Technology, she was the Chief Technology Officer and senior vice president of Raychem from 1997 to 1998.
She was then the vice president and later president of Interval Research from 1998 to 2000. She joined United States. Venture Partners from 2001 to 2011, focusing on investment in green technology and information technology startups.
On July 30, 2012, she became the head of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, replacing Regina East. Dugan.
She has also been named a Texas Technical Distinguished Engineer and a Distinguished Alumna of California Institute of Technology.
Membership
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers]
Prabhakar is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and was named Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Fellow in 1997 for "leadership in partnering between industry and government to promote economic growth through the development of manufacturing technologies for semiconductor devices". She was a member of the board of directors of Socially Responsible Investment International in 2012, and was also a member of the United States. National Academies" Science Technology and Economic Policy Board and the College of Engineering Advisory Board at the University of California, Berkeley.