Laxminarayan Raja Elected American Physical Society Fellow
Laxminarayan L. Raja has been elected a 2026 Fellow of the American Physical Society in recognition of his contributions to computational modeling of chemically reactive plasmas.
Laxminarayan L. Raja, the L. B. (Preach) Meaders Professor in Engineering in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin, has been elected a 2026 Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) through its Division of Plasma Physics.
Raja is being recognized for his contributions to developing high-fidelity computational models of chemically reactive plasmas, spanning low-pressure semiconductor processing to atmospheric-pressure glow discharges, and applying these models to fundamental studies and industrial-scale reactor simulations.
Raja specializes in computational modeling and experimental studies of low-temperature glow discharge plasmas. His research focuses on atmospheric-pressure glow discharges, microdischarges and semiconductor process plasmas, with broader interests in plasma-based propulsion, flow control and high-performance computing.
His research has received support from the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and industrial sponsors. He received the NSF CAREER Award in 2001.
Election as an APS Fellow is a prestigious recognition by peers for outstanding contributions to physics. The Society selects no more than one-half of 1% of its membership, excluding student members, for fellowship each year.