Eknath Ghate, C'91, Awarded the 2013 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize

Trailblazing mathematician and School of Arts and Sciences alumnus Eknath Ghate has been awarded the 2013 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Mathematical Sciences, the most prestigious award in India of its kind. Ghate graduated from Penn summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in mathematics in 1991. His research at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai focuses on number theory. Major contributions to the field include theorems on the arithmetic of complex functions called modular forms. He has published over 30 papers in prestigious international journals and lectured at leading universities in India and around the world.

Ghate plays a continued, crucial role in the transformation of the Penn alumni landscape in India. He serves as the co-chair of the Western India Alumni Interview Committee and advises on the interview process and the recruiting of new interviewers. “We're proud of alumnus Eknath Ghate, who has gone from his undergraduate math major days here at Penn to a distinguished career in mathematical research,” says fellow mathematician Dennis DeTurck, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. “His work focuses on the interaction between number theory and algebraic geometry represents two deep and beautiful branches of mathematics.”

The award consists of a citation, a cash prize, and a monthly honorarium until the age of 65. It is awarded by the prime minister at a ceremony organized by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in New Delhi.