The White House honored Dr. Sivalingam (Siva) Sivananthan, UIC Professor and Director of the Microphysics Laboratory (MPL), during its “Champions of Change” event for immigrant entrepreneurs and innovators.
Among the many accomplishments Dr. Siva has made throughout his career, his leadership led to the development of advanced infrared (IR) night-vision technology used by our nation’s warfighters. He also helped launch the Institute for Solar Photovoltaic Innovation, Research, and Edu-training (InSPIRE), a non-profit organization committed to promoting a renewable energy and solar ecosystem in Illinois.
The White House has posted a full video of the Champions of Change event onto YouTube. Approximately 1 hour and 9 minutes into the video, you can listen to Dr. Siva begin to tell his story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V0HXyha6Hs. The Champions of Change website features blogs written by the Champions, including Dr. Siva’s.
You can read his blog by clicking the following link: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/06/04/conquering-darkness-and-harnessing-sun.