Shyam-Sunder

Sivaraj Shyam-Sunder is senior science advisor to the Secretary for the U.S Department of Commerce. He earned a bachelor of technology degree in civil engineering with honors from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and an SM degree (civil engineering) and a doctor of science degree (structural engineering) from MIT.

In 1978, he began his career at MIT as a research assistant and instructor, rising to the positions of associate professor and senior research scientist over 16 years. In 1994, he joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as manager of the Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) High Performance Materials and Systems Program. Later he joined the program office of the NIST director.

In 1998, he was named chief of the BFRL Structures Division, and in 2002 was selected as chief of the Materials and Construction Research Division. He then served as BFRL deputy director and later BFRL director, and led the six-year U.S. federal investigation of the World Trade Center disaster of 9/11.

He and his wife, Lakshmi, who works for the World Bank Group, have one daughter and live in Bethesda, MD.