Honorary Doctor of Engineering
Citation delivered by Distinguished Professor Gordon Wallace AO at the University of Wollongong on the occasion of the admission of Chennupati Jagadish as a Doctor of Engineering (honoris causa) on 5 November 2026.
Vice-Chancellor, I present to you Professor Chennupati Jagadish.
Professor Jagadish’s story begins in a small village in India, where he studied by the light of a kerosene lamp.
With no local high school, he left home after Year 7 and lived for three years with his mathematics teacher in a neighbouring village so that he could continue his education. The generosity of that teacher, his English teacher and their families changed the course of his life, and left him with an enduring understanding of the power of education and opportunity.
After completing a doctorate in physics at the University of Delhi, Professor Jagadish spent three years applying for postdoctoral positions. He received more than 300 rejections.
Still, he persisted. An offer from Queen’s University in Canada became his first major opportunity, requiring him to change his field of research. Then, in July 1990, he arrived in Australia with his wife, Vidya, and their two-month-old daughter to begin a two-year postdoctoral fellowship.
That two-year opportunity became a 36-year association with Australia and the foundation of an internationally distinguished career.
Today, Professor Jagadish is recognised for his pioneering work in semiconductor optoelectronics and nanotechnology, advancing how we generate, detect and control light at the smallest scales.
As Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Physics and Electronic Materials Engineering at the Australian National University, his research has contributed to semiconductor lasers for optical fibre communications, infrared detectors for biomedical imaging and defence, flexible solar cells, health-monitoring sensors and technologies supporting research into neuronal networks and dementia.
He has published more than 800 peer-reviewed papers, holds eight United States patents, and has guided more than 70 doctoral students and 50 postdoctoral researchers, many of whom now hold leading roles around the world.
His influence extends well beyond his own research. From 2022 to 2026, he served as President of the Australian Academy of Science, while also holding senior leadership roles across major scientific and engineering organisations in Australia and internationally.
Professor Jagadish has also maintained a longstanding connection with the University of Wollongong through research collaboration, seminars, scholarly gatherings, shared facilities and service on the Vice-Chancellor’s Strategic Advisory Board.
Perhaps most fittingly, the opportunities once extended to him are opportunities he now creates for others. Through the Chennupati and Vidya Jagadish Endowment, he and Vidya support students and young scientists from developing countries to undertake research in Australia. Together with his family, he has also established the Dhavi Trust, supporting students and schools in India, particularly in rural communities.
Vice-Chancellor, it is a privilege to present Professor Chennupati Jagadish for admission to the degree of Doctor of Engineering, honoris causa.