The American Dream: Ambassador Gautam A Rana’s journey is an inspiration for Indian immigrants across the globe

declared me as the man with the ‘largest negative carbon footprint’ due to the impact of IGBTs on the energy systems and power electronics. Each of these is special in their own right. This latest one credits me as the sole inventor of IGBTs, and hence it is special," Dr. Baliga shared in an interview.

The scientist's most famous invention is used worldwide in various applications such as air conditioning systems, household appliances like dishwashers, mixers, and refrigerators, factory automation including robotics, medical equipment like CAT scanners and uninterruptible power supplies, public electric transport and hybrid cars, engine control systems, vehicle electronics, as well as in mobile phones, laptops, and server CPUs.

Born for science

Born in Madras, India, in 1948, Dr. Baliga grew up in various cities. His father Bantwal Vittal Manjunath Baliga, was one of India's first electrical engineers in the days before independence and founding President of the Indian branch of the Institute of Radio Engineers, which later became the IEEE in India. Remembering the time when the first Indian TV was broadcast from his house, the scientist shared, "My father, was chief engineer of All India Radio after Independence. There was an exhibition in Delhi in the 1950s where they were using All India Radio’s setup of a camera and a transmitter to show a TV telecast within the exhibition premises. My father wanted to test if the signal could be received at a farther distance." He had a television set installed at his house at Teen Murti Marg. “It caused quite a sensation in the neighbourhood,” he added.

[caption id="attachment_50143" align="aligncenter" width="750"] A young Dr. Baliga soon after shifting to the USA[/caption]

This experience pushed him to pursue a career in engineering, and after completing his school, the scientist enrolled at the Indian Institute of Technology (Madras), for a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. Speaking about his experience at the institute, the scientist said, "IIT is a phenomenal place to give you a foundation, where you are given a broad coverage of topics in every branch. Back in my time, there were no electives, and every batch had to go through a compulsory set of courses. But they were so chosen that we received an all-round training in materials, electronics, maths, physics, chemistry, etc. And this really helps when you work in research by enabling you to think in an interdisciplinary way. So, this helped me a lot when I went to the US."

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The scientist has always credited the institute for his success in the field. And thus, years later, he made some significant donations to IIT, Madras. "IIT Madras is always a special place and has helped me greatly. To give back to it, I have donated it to the institute to give scholarships to students from the money I received along with the Global Energy Prize and other such prizes," he said.

After his graduation, Dr. Baliga moved to the United States of America to pursue higher studies. Interestingly, the scientist had trouble getting financial aid while pursuing his graduate studies and was very apprehensive about his abilities to cope with the academic rigours in the USA. "I ended up proving them wrong by scoring a perfect 4.0 GPA and getting the best Ph.D. medal from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York City.

The genius

From 1974 to 1988, Dr. Baliga conducted several research projects at General Electric's R&D Center in Schenectady, New York. Leading a team of 40 scientists, they focused on power semiconductors and high-voltage integrated circuits. At that time, the transistor, which is essential for computers, had already been discovered and put into use. Dr. Baliga aimed to create a semiconductor device capable of controlling heavy-duty equipment such as compact fluorescent lights, air conditioners, and electric motors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkvrcXF9ooE

During that period, companies such as GE and Westinghouse were advancing their bipolar transistors for high-power applications. Meanwhile, another group, spearheaded by Siliconix and International Rectifier, was working on a different type of transistor known as the power MOSFET. And it was the scientist who thought of combining the physics of the two. “There was a vice president in GE who was developing a heat pump for air-conditioning applications. He was frustrated that the exiting transistors were failing and that the circuit needed to drive the motor pump was too big, expensive, and very cumbersome to assemble,” the Global Indian said.

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The legend

The scientist is single-handedly responsible for cost savings of over $15 trillion for consumers. “Because of the IGBT the world has not had to build at least 600 hydroelectric dams of the size of the Hoover Dam in Nevada," shared the scientist. His contributions in the field have won him many recognitions including the 1991 IEEE Newell Award, 1993 IEEE Morris N Liebmann Memorial Award, 1998 IEEE JJ Ebers Award, and 1999 IEEE Lamme Medal. In 2011, the scientist was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest award for an engineer in the USA by US President Barack Obama.

"Something I never dreamt of as an immigrant coming here with, as I said, about eight dollars in my pocket and a suitcase. To end up in the White House with the President honouring you is just incredible. Unfortunately, my parents were not alive when that happened. And also the IEEE Medal of Honor, for example, that’s much later, 2014. They passed away in the 1990s," the scientist expressed.

Currently serving as the Distinguished University Professor of Electrical Engineering and founding director of NC State University’s Power Semiconductor Research Center, Dr. Baliga is also the founder of three companies, that aim to license and commercialise his inventions: Giant Semiconductor Corporation, Micro-Ohm Corporation, Silicon Wireless Corporation (later renamed to Silicon Semiconductor Corporation).

• Follow Dr. B. Jayant Baliga on his blog

/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Indian over a call from California. Her invention might be a stepping stone to solving the homelessness crisis in California, and Jayati believes that the prototype can be replicated anywhere in the world, including India.

[caption id="attachment_26124" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Jayati Sinha[/caption]

The evolution of a childhood dream 

When she was quite young, a fortune-teller prophesied that she would do something with scissors when she grows up. The only interpretation that her ecstatic mother could derive at that moment was that her daughter would become a doctor. She did pick up a pair of scissors as a youngster but that was to make Barbie dresses. "I must have been in second grade and was very much inspired by the protagonist of Disney show That's So Raven. I was fascinated by how she designed something from scratch," smiles Jayati whose interest later developed into product design. Her father, who is a scientist and professor at IIT-Kanpur, would get new gadgets and toys from his foreign trips which piqued her interest in technology. "My brother and I would take them apart and see what was inside of them. This desire to blend design and technology led the way to my interest in product design, which is ever-expanding," adds the responsible designer.

The National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bhopal gave wings to her dreams wherein the Kanpur-born enrolled for a Bachelor of Design in lifestyle products. The four years played a perfect catalyst in helping shape her ideology as a product designer. Her perception changed when she was in college and happened to visit a crafts cluster at a nearby village, where artisans practiced metal crafts. "It was an opportunity for us to learn from them and vice versa. The visit had an impact on me as I saw how they were keeping the culture alive with their crafts. But at the same time, they weren't getting paid enough," explains Jayati who couldn't get past the paradox. "They were busy making beautiful things but their own life was nothing like it." This pushed the 26-year-old designer to become more empathetic and do things in the future that create an impact.

The project that changed it all    

This quest for purpose took her to the ArtCenter College of Design in California in 2017 for her Masters in Environmental Design. Two years into her degree, Eric Garcetti, the Mayor of Los Angeles, reached out to her college "looking for inspiration" to build budget houses for the homeless. The mandate was to build structures that were foldable, transportable, and something that gave them a "feeling of home". Soon she began ideating on Pop Hut along with her team that was led by Professor James Meraz. "It's temporary housing, like a transition house that homeless people can use when they have no place to go before they move to a permanent house once they get a job or something." While building on the concept, Jayati and her team were crystal clear about including "empathy" and a "feeling of home" to the Pop Hut. They did that by including a door, a house number, and a small porch. "It's not just a box but should give them a sense of home and belonging," adds Jayati who worked on Pop Hut for about a year. "The initial few months went into interviewing the homeless and understanding their psyche, gathering information and research and prototyping. We built the home in four months," reveals Jayati who was emotional about designing the house, adding, "We used translucent glass instead of transparent so residents feel less vulnerable. Having been on the streets for so long, they don't want people to look into their homes anymore. It gives them a sense of privacy."

[caption id="attachment_26123" align="aligncenter" width="526"] Pop Hut designed by Jayati and her team[/caption]

Made on a budget of $2000, the Pop Hut's journey from concept to reality had its share of challenges. If getting people to open up about their insecurities was a task, finding affordable material for the built was nothing short of a dare. "Making a connection where they feel safe enough to show their vulnerable side requires time. But this also made me understand how privileged I am to come from a family that supports me - emotionally as well as if need be, financially," says Jayati who gives a reality check on the stark difference in lifestyles between India and US. "Here, kids leave home at 16 or 18 years to support themselves. Many pay their fees with the money they earn at Starbucks or McDonald's. They don't get to explore the opportunities to grow or do something they are capable of. However, in India, teenagers get to focus on education without having to worry about how to fend for themselves," says the designer who in the process understood that everyone has a story and "they aren't homeless because they are lazy."

How an environmental designer became responsible 

With the prototype getting a nod from the mayor and on its way to becoming a reality, Jayati believes that Pop Hut can be replicated in India too, but not without a few tweaks. "We'll have to learn about the environment - where it will be placed and understand a little about the problem of homelessness in India to make it a product that caters to the need of the people. We might have to change a few materials too, but overall this can be replicated anywhere," says the designer keeping in mind the population of 1.77 billion homeless people in India.

[caption id="attachment_26126" align="aligncenter" width="530"] Jayati Sinha working on Pop Hut[/caption]

Jayati, who is currently working with Accenture in California, is steadily unfolding the concept of "responsible design." While environmental designers focus on projects that are eco-friendly and sustainable, responsible designers collectively focus on "environmental, social and economic factors." "It's embedded in the decision-making of why we are doing what we are doing. We don't mind saying no to big clients if what they are asking for isn't good for the users. That's where the collective consciousness is now moving to," reveals Jayati who loves to work with clients who think about "humans as humans and not as profit." Currently busy exploring the EV space in her new project at work, she is understanding "how and why EVs are important and even if they are good for the environment, and how we can make it better," says the girl who loves unwinding by spending time with her German Shepherd, growing plants at her home, and working out.

[caption id="attachment_26125" align="aligncenter" width="363"] Jayati loves hiking[/caption]

She believes that winds of change are causing shifts like never before. "A lot of people now are not simply doing jobs for the sake of it, but most are busy creating an impact. Things are shifting on a larger scale," signs off Jayati.