The award is the highest honor for technological achievement bestowed by the U.S. government.

Agrawal holds 116 U.S. patents and nearly 500 non-U.S. patents and has authored 93 technical papers.

He received the award with four other recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

The citation for the award recognizes Agrawal for “an extraordinary record of innovations. These innovations have had significant positive impacts on electronic device manufacturing, liquefied gas production and the supply of industrial gasses for diverse industries.”

Earlier in October, Agrawal also received the highest award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Founders Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Chemical Engineering. He was cited for “an extraordinary record of innovations and contributions to the fields of separations, cryogenics and energy.”

He also earlier was elected as a Foreign Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering, a peer body of distinguished engineers and technologists. The academy confers fellowship on Indian and foreign nationals who are in positions of high responsibility and have demonstrated their eminence by virtue of outstanding accomplishments in new and developing engineering fields.

Agrawal’s current research is in energy-related areas involving the conversion of biomass to liquid fuels, processes related to low-cost solar cells, energy systems analysis and high-efficiency separations processes needed for industry and research.

He earned a doctorate in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1980, a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware in 1977 and a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in 1975.

“Dr. Agrawal is well-deserving of this stupendous honor,” says Leah H. Jamieson, the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering. “He is not only leading research in his field but also helping to educate a new generation of chemical engineers.”

Arvind Varma, the R. Games Slayter Distinguished Professor and head of the School of Chemical Engineering, says the award is a fitting tribute to Agrawal’s outstanding work. “Purdue chemical engineering is fortunate to have him as a distinguished faculty member.”