Hridaya Behari Mathur obtained his PhD (1954) from University of California, Berkeley, USA specializing in physical chemistry. He served as Scientist-in-charge, Physical Chemistry Division, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune (1958-76) and Director, Defence Materials and Stores, Defence Research and Development establishment, Kanpur (1976-80).

Academic and Research Achievements: Mathur carried out studies in the following areas: nuclear structure, search for new isotopes in the closed shell region and their beta and gamma spectroscopic studies; chemical application of Mossbauer spectroscopy; intermetallic diffusion and kinetics of high-temperature oxidation of metals and alloys; and thermodynamics of complexion formation in aqueous solutions and chelate structure.

Other Contributions: Mathur was the Member, Uttar Pradesh State Council of Science & Technology; Catalyst Research Committee, and Metals Research Committee (CSIR); and working Group on Materials and Components (Electronics Commission). Mathur contributed chapter on application of Mossbauer spectroscopy to two books and served on editorial board of Indian Journal of Chemistry.

Awards and Honours: Mathur received the SS Bhatnagar Prize (1973). He was the Member, Indian Chemical Society, American Physical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Association (India), and International Diffusion Research Association; Fellow, Sigma Xi (USA).