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rUsTUM roy
1924–2010
elected in 1973
“For contributions to the development of the modern science and
technology of non-metallic materials.”
By l. eric cross
rUsTUM roy was one of the world’s leading materials
scientists but also a major moving force in the fields of
national and international science policy and of constructive
interaction between science, technology, and religion. a very
strong advocate of interdisciplinary and integrative learning,
he was a brilliant teacher, immensely popular with students
and younger faculty, but often regarded with suspicion and
even some hostility by senior administrators as a strong force
for change that might endanger some of their local bases of
power. He was an inspiration to many seeking change to
benefit humanity and his passing is a great loss to both science
and society.
rustum was born in ranchi Bihar province in india on July
3, 1924. The family was very well connected, and an early
meeting with the great Mahatma gandhi left a very deep and
lasting influence on Roy, which helped embed his lifelong
dedication to molding scientific endeavor to benefit the needs
of society. Rustum took a Cambridge School Certificate from
saint Paul’s school darjeeling, then a B.sc. (Honors) and an
M.sc. in chemistry at Patna University in 1944, followed by a
Ph.d. in ceramic science from the Pennsylvania state University
in 1948. He joined the Penn state faculty as a research associate
in 1950 and then as an assistant professor in 1951, rising rapidly
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342 MeMorial TriBUTes
to full professor of geochemistry in 1957. in 1962 he founded
the Materials research laboratory (Mrl) at Penn state, the
first in the country without block grant support. In 1981 he
was named an evan Pugh Professor, the highest academic title
the university can bestow.
The Mrl under Professor roy’s leadership was a lively
happy place to work, as he led by example and not by edict.
He worked an incredibly long day, and before the advent
of the internet his phone was ringing off the hook during
normal hours, so the best time to meet for discussion was 10
p.m. to midnight. obviously, there was no bickering over the
distribution of central funds as there was no central budget.
Proposals, as in all U.s. research groups, were an absolute
necessity but exciting topics for targeted basic studies were
constantly nucleated, targeted in areas that rustum knew
were of vital importance to specific federal and state agencies,
and the success rate was truly heartening.
it is interesting to note that in 2004 Thomas register, who
kept the statistics, commented in surprise that Penn state had
12 highly cited faculty in materials studies compared to 6 at
the next highest academic institution, the very prestigious
materials program at cornell University. Mrl faculty,
however, was not surprised as, in fact, rustum had been
heavily involved in recruiting 9 of the highly cited 12.
in his own group roy was a major innovator in the whole
area of new materials synthesis techniques. starting in 1948
he devised what is now called the solution sol-gel process
for making pure nanoscale reactive powders for many
important ceramic compositions. originally devised for
making ultrahomogeneous materials, the group was later
able to show that the process could be adapted to making
maximally heterogeneous nanocomposites with most exciting
properties.
a second major area developed with his colleague o. f.
Tuttle was hydrothermal processing for materials synthesis
and crystal growth. Tuttle focused on geological applications
and roy on materials applications. a third area of immense
practical importance were the far-reaching studies of
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rUsTUM roy
microwave electromagnetic processing—starting with
pure sio2 and al2o3, which were thought to be completely
microwave transparent and moving to semiinsulators like
tungsten carbide, and even powder metals in 2.45-H microwave
fields. For the first time, using single-mode cavities the group
clearly demonstrated the amazing differences generated by
pure E and H microwave fields with major consequences for
proper theoretical understanding.
although a practicing scientist for 65 years, his life work
defied any professional label: he was dedicated to breaking
artificial boundaries in order to integrate science, religion,
education, health, art, and social action for human benefit.
Roy probably holds the unofficial record for the synthesis
of more new ceramic materials than anyone else in history.
He trained and exported worldwide several generations of
students with outstanding crystal chemical backgrounds,
and his class notes, never published, have been reproduced
and used worldwide. We are much saddened by our great
loss but vastly heartened by the thought of his joyous new
surroundings and the excitement he will have on learning full
details of the organization of our amazing materials universe.
Rustum helped create a small “Christian base community,”
the sycamore community in state college, Pennsylvania, a
local focus for many years of church activity. somehow he
found time for voluminous correspondence, dozens of phone
calls a day, and a vital family life with his wife, children, and the
extended roy clan. rustum worked tirelessly, often returning
to the office after a family dinner, or a game of frisbee, to burn
the midnight oil. He never missed a chance to combine work
and pleasure, often finding time during his trips to gather
friends for a simple meal and stimulating conversation.
He was responsible for bringing siblings to Penn state for
advanced study, two brothers (Prodipto and shunil) who
together with rustum, della, and, later, son ronnen, brought
to five the number of Roy Ph.D.s from Penn State. He also
assisted on bringing three sisters, Sita, Asoka (Koko), and
dipti for advanced study in the United states in their medical
professions. other siblings—ayesha, ronobir, Protap, and
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344 MeMorial TriBUTes
roma—visited the United states from time to time. The next
generation of nieces and nephews helped nucleate an extended
roy clan in this country and abroad.
rustum was born the seventh child (of 11) to Narendra
Kumar and Rajkumari Roy. He is survived by his wife Della
Martin Roy and sister Dipti Ioni Sisodia; sisters-in-law Krishna
roy, Joyce roy, sheila roy, and Joya chowdhury roy; sons
Neill r. roy, ronnen a. roy, and Jeremy r. roy; daughters-
in-law evelina francis, sinaly Munoz, and lydia Bufanda; and
granddaughter simone d. roy and grandson Naren s. roy.
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