V. Rao Vemuri Applied Science Recipient 1996-1997

Known to some as the "Isaac Asimov of Andhra (India)," Professor Vemuri has waged a career campaign to popularize science in his native India. He is a UC Davis professor of applied science at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Like most productive scientists, Professor Vemuri has written research papers and technical books, and served within his professional group. But he also has authored popular science books, science fiction short stories, essays and articles on science and linguistics, radio commentaries, a new popular science magazine and popular science essays.

Most of Professor Vemuri's extensive prose has been penned in Telugu, a language of southern India with a rich literary tradition dating back to the 11th century. But, like most Indian languages, it has not been used much in science. After struggling with the lack of an adequate vocabulary while writing books in Telugu, he compiled an "English-Telugu and Telugu-English Science Dictionary for Students, Journalists and Translators." .

Professor Vemuri serves on the board of the nonprofit Vanguri Foundation, which helps promote literary efforts in Telugu, translates Telugu classics into English and encourages computer software in Telugu. Science and technology in India are accessible to that 2 percent of the population who can read and write English, Vemuri says. The rest of the 98 percent are science illiterates in a country that is roughly 50 percent literate.

In Professor Vemuri's home village of Gollaprolu, children had to walk three miles and cross a busy national highway to attend an elementary school. When villagers approached Professor Vemuri for help, he raised $1,000 to help defray the cost of building a school. He also helped raise more money with a group of people to build and equip a cancer treatment and research center in Viskhapatnam, India, especially to combat cancer in the mouth.

In a new project called "A Model Center for Science Resources," Professor Vemuri hopes to provide a science center for rural Indian youngsters. He also has instituted a computer contest known as The Lotus Award for Excellence in Creative Computing, to encourage and honor creative applications of computers by youngsters of Indian heritage who are now living in North America.