Ajith Manayil Parambil succeeds in the Science as Art competition

Ajith Manayil Parambil from the CEET Materials-Envi Lab was awarded second place in the Science as Art competition at the Materials Research Society (MRS) Spring Meeting 2026. The prestigious conference, held from April 26 to May 1 in Honolulu, Hawaii, brought together materials researchers from academia, industry, and related sectors. His submission, titled “Cauliflower Petals at a Ternary Heterojunction Nanostructure,” attracted significant attention from the competition judges.

Science as Art is a well-known part of MRS conferences that highlights the visual beauty of scientific research through artistic imagery. Participants submit visuals generated during their research, which are assessed in two evaluation rounds. Following the voting process, the top 25 images advanced to the final stage of the competition.

“Receiving this award is very meaningful to me, both personally and professionally. It is encouraging to see that my work and scientific creativity were recognized at an international platform such as the Materials Research Society. I am especially happy because the “Science as Art” competition highlights not only the scientific value of research, but also its aesthetic and creative aspects. I strongly believe that such initiatives are important for outreach, as they help communicate science to common people in a more engaging and accessible way. Presenting scientific research through artistic visualization can inspire curiosity and make complex scientific concepts easier for the public to appreciate and understand,” said Ajith Manayil Parambil.

During the conference, the researcher and recipient of the MSCA Fellowships CZ project at VŠB–Technical University of Ostrava also delivered a presentation titled “Sustainable Design of Biomass-Derived Carbon Dots for Circular Environmental Sensing and Remediation.”

“It was a valuable experience to compete alongside researchers from many different countries and to be selected through multiple rounds of evaluation. The recognition gave me confidence and motivation for my future research activities. It was also rewarding to represent our research group and institution at such a prestigious event,” Parambil concluded.