BENGALURU: The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on Wednesday announced the names of eight scientists and engineers selected to receive the distinguished alumnus/alumna Awards and Young Alumnus/Alumna Medals for 2025. The awards recognise exceptional contributions to science, technology, society, and the Institute.

B Dattaguru: One of India's foremost experts in structural integrity, fracture mechanics, and aircraft structures, Dattaguru's work has enhanced the safety of missiles, satellite launch vehicles, and LCA components. He also developed key software systems for strategic organisations to aerospace programmes. He received Padma Shri in 2005.

Murthy Gudipati: A research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Gudipati is a global authority in laboratory astrophysics. His research explores the origins of life on earth and its possible existence elsewhere. His work has advanced NASA's planetary and astrobiology missions. He completed his PhD from the Department of organic chemistry in 1987 and served as Satish Dhawan Visiting Chair at IISc.

Sharmila Mande: Mande is among the first Indian scientists to advance microbiome research. Her team developed globally cited algorithms for analysing metagenomic data. As the head of the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Research Group, she has led international collaborations and contributed to science policy and mentorship.