International Honorary Member

One or more International Honorary Members may be selected each year by the Academy's Board of Trustees by affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of its members. The individual so honored possesses one or more of the following characteristics:

• has attained a position of eminence in the field of environmental and/or human health protection internationally or in his or her country;
• has made a single noteworthy contribution or sustained contribution to the advancement of environmental and/or human health protection in a specific area internationally or in his or her country; or
• has rendered outstanding service over a long period of time resulting in the advancement of environmental and/or human health protection internationally or in his or her country.

Click here for the full criteria and nomination forms.

2026 International Honorary Member

Professor Rajasekhar Balasubramanian, Ph.D.

Professor Rajasekhar Balasubramanian, widely known as "Bala," is a distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where he currently holds the Keppel Chair in Sustainability Solutions. With over three decades of academic and research experience, he has established himself as a global authority in atmospheric chemistry, urban air pollution, and environmental sustainability. His career is marked by a deep commitment to understanding the complex interactions between human activity and the environment.

His primary research interests focus on the environmental and health impacts of air pollution, ranging from local urban air quality to the broader implications of global climate change. Professor Balasubramanian has conducted pioneering work in aerosol science and biomass burning, which has been instrumental in developing cost-effective mitigation technologies and informing regulatory policies worldwide. As a highly cited researcher, he has authored over 300 scholarly papers, reflecting his significant influence within the scientific community and his role in advancing the field of environmental engineering.

Beyond his research at NUS, Professor Balasubramanian holds several high-level international leadership positions. He served as a Lead Author for the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) 6th Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) report and is an active member of the Science Panel for the Asia-Pacific Clean Air Partnership. Furthermore, he serves as the Vice-President of the International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations (IUAPPA), contributing to global efforts in air quality management.

His contributions have been recognized through numerous prestigious accolades, including being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). He was honored with the 2020 PROSE Award for Environmental Sciences by the Association of American Publishers and is a three-time recipient of the NUS Annual Teaching Excellence Award. Before his tenure at NUS began in 1996, he held research positions at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the New York State Department of Health, following the completion of his Ph.D. at the University of Miami.

Past Recipients

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