Bhubaneswar: Srikant Gollapudi, associate professor at the School of Minerals, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Bhubaneswar, has received the National Teachers’ Award 2026 not just for his contributions to teaching but also for socially relevant research in metallurgy and materials science, including affordable medical implants and surgical devices.He received the award from President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony in New Delhi on Sept 5, the Teachers’ Day.Gollapudi is among 21 teachers from higher educational institutions and polytechnics across the country selected for the honour, which recognises excellence in teaching and academic leadership.His work focuses on conceptual learning, real-world applications and experiential education. His research also includes recycling solutions for end-of-life solar cells and lightweight composites for mobility applications.At IIT Bhubaneswar, Gollapudi’s research focuses on the processing and characterisation of advanced materials for defence, mobility and biomedical applications. He is also leading projects of national importance funded by organisations such as the DRDO and the ministry of mines.An alumnus of NIT Rourkela and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Gollapudi said he was deeply honoured and humbled to receive the National Teachers’ Award. “I am grateful to my students, colleagues, mentors and the leadership of IIT Bhubaneswar for their constant support. IIT Bhubaneswar’s teaching-learning reforms have helped create an environment that supports innovative and student-centric pedagogy,” said Gollapudi, who earned his PhD in materials science and engineering from North Carolina State University in the US.Congratulating him, IIT Bhubaneswar director Shreepad Karmalkar said the recognition was a matter of pride for the institute.“Srikant’s dedication to teaching, research and student mentoring exemplifies the values of academic excellence that IIT Bhubaneswar seeks to promote through impactful research and transformative pedagogical practices,” Karmalkar said.Before joining IIT Bhubaneswar, he worked at the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, among others.