Professor Spenta R. Wadia – the Founding Director of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, in Bangalore, where he also presides as Chair Professor at the Infosys Foundation Homi Bhabha – was inducted as an International Honorary Member of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences, USA, at a grand induction ceremony held on 21^st September, in Boston.

Professor Spenta Wadia’s area of specialty at the ICTS lies in Mathematical and Physical Sciences, with his research focusing on elementary particle physics, quantum gravity and string theory. His other scientific interests are in complex systems including cross-disciplinary biology. He is a Fellow of all the Science Academies of India, a distinguished alumnus of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and the recipient of eminent awards including the TWAS Prize in Physics (2004); The Physics Prize of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (1995); and the J C Bose Fellowship (GoI). An elected member of TWAS, Prof. Wadia holds a PhD in Physics from New York’s City University.

An alumnus of St Mary’s High School Mumbai, St Xavier’s College Mumbai and he joined the faculty of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR, Mumbai) in 1982 till 2015. He was the Chair of the Dept of Theoretical Physics 2007-2009, Distinguished Professor 2008-2015 and Founder Director of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) of TIFR in Bangalore 2007-2015, presently presiding as its Infosys Homi Bhabha Chair Professor.

He conceived and executed (with the contribution of colleagues) the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences of TIFR, which, through its programs, research and outreach activities is having an impact on Indian science and education. He also contributed significantly to the building of the Department of Theoretical Physics of TIFR, and is one of the founding members of the Asian Winter School on ‘Strings, Particles and Cosmology’ as well as the ‘Crete Regional Meeting in String theory’. As a member of the American Physical Society’s ‘Committee for International Scientific Affairs’, he has enabled several joint events with the Indian Physics Association and other institutions in India. He continues to play a leadership role through his involvement in multiple national and global advisory boards of scientific institutions.