NASA Astronaut Dr. Donald A. Thomas Unveils IEM Innovation Park in Kolkata

The inauguration was attended by senior members of the IEM-UEM Group, including Prof. Satyajit Chakrabarti, Vice-Chancellor, UEM, Kolkata; Dr. Arun Kr Bar, Principal, IEM; Dr. Malay Gangopadhyaya, Dean (Academic); Dr. Koyel Ganguly, Assistant Registrar; and Mr. Kayamboo Ramalingam, Founder & CEO, Go4Guru, along with academicians, professionals and distinguished guests.

Following the inauguration, Dr. Thomas visited various Centres of Excellence at the IEM Innovation Park, where he reviewed student- and researcher-led projects and technology-based innovations. He interacted with the young innovators, observed project demonstrations and took keen interest in the ideas and technologies being developed on the campus.

The interaction provided students with an opportunity to present their work to a scientist and astronaut whose career spans materials science research, space exploration and human spaceflight. Dr. Thomas’s engagement with the projects and his words of encouragement generated considerable enthusiasm among students and members of the academic community.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Satyajit Chakrabarti, Vice-Chancellor, UEM, said, “IEM has always placed strong emphasis on innovation, research and entrepreneurship. The IEM Innovation Park will further strengthen this culture by providing students with a platform to develop their ideas, experiment with new technologies and pursue solutions that can create meaningful real-world impact.”

Dr. Rajashree Paul, Director, IQAC, IEM-UEM Group, said, “The Innovation Park will encourage students to think creatively, collaborate across disciplines and transform their ideas into innovative solutions with real-world impact.”

The programme also featured a Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Donald A. Thomas, followed by an interactive session with students and members of the academic community. Drawing on his experience as a NASA astronaut and scientist, Dr. Thomas spoke about space exploration, engineering, scientific experimentation and human spaceflight.

He shared insights from his Space Shuttle missions and highlighted the importance of scientific curiosity, perseverance, teamwork, discipline and continuous learning in pursuing ambitious goals. Students actively participated in the interaction, raising questions and engaging in an exchange of ideas on science, technology and space exploration.

Dr. Prabir Kumar Das, Head, Department of Basic Science and Humanities and one of the conveners, said, “The interaction with Dr. Thomas gave our students a unique opportunity to engage directly with a NASA astronaut, learn from his extraordinary experiences and gain new perspectives on space exploration, science and innovation.”

The programme was convened by Dr. Arnab Basu, Dr. Ranabir Banik and Dr. Prabir Kumar Das.

Dr. Donald A. Thomas is a distinguished American engineer, scientist and former NASA astronaut who flew on four Space Shuttle missions — STS-65, STS-70, STS-83 and STS-94 — spending approximately 44 days in space. His missions involved research in materials science, combustion, life sciences and microgravity.

He subsequently served as a Space Shuttle CAPCOM, Director of Operations at NASA’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia and International Space Station Program Scientist. His professional achievements have been recognised with multiple NASA honours, including four NASA Group Achievement Awards, four NASA Space Flight Medals, two NASA Exceptional Service Medals and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.

The inauguration and subsequent interaction with Dr. Thomas marked an important step in IEM’s efforts to create an environment where academic learning, research, innovation and entrepreneurship converge. His visit also gave students a valuable opportunity to connect their own technological work with the larger possibilities of scientific exploration and real-world innovation.

The enthusiastic participation of students and the engagement of Dr. Thomas with their projects added significance to the occasion, reinforcing the IEM-UEM Group’s vision of nurturing engineers, researchers and entrepreneurs capable of developing technology-led solutions for society.

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