Congratulations to Dr. K.L Murty, Progress Energy Distinguished Professor at NC State University, Department of Nuclear Engineering. He is the recipient of the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence award, one of four faculty to receive it in 2024.

The Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence award is the highest honor bestowed by NC State and the university’s Board of Trustees. The award was named in honor of Alexander Quarles Holladay, NC State’s first professor of history and its first president. The award recognizes Dr. Murty’s outstanding and sustained contributions to the university and department through his achievements in research, teaching, extension and engagement.  

His success includes securing research grants and funds from federal and industry sources totaling more than $14 million as of 2023. These funds have supported numerous graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and undergraduates, resulting in the awarding of 54 graduate degrees and the publication of 383 journal articles to date. Dr. Murty has presented extensively at domestic and international conferences, contributing to a substantial body of technical reports. His exceptional research record includes consistent funding from the National Science Foundation, with a total of eight grants reflecting an outstanding commitment to scientific inquiry. He has strong research collaborations with colleagues in the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, while also working with institutions in Germany, Australia, India, Korea and China, resulting in joint publications and mutual visits. 

Over the course of his tenure, Dr. Murty has garnered numerous accolades, including the Alcoa Foundation Research Achievement Award, Fellow status in the American Society for Metals International and the American Nuclear Society, Life Fellow and Honorary Membership in the Indian Institute of Metals and American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers. His impact is further underscored by two symposia held in his honor: the International Plasticity Conference in 2016 and the Structural Materials Division Conference of The Materials Society in 2017.