Prof Ratnavelu obtained his BSc (First Class Hons) and his MSc by research from the Department of Mathematics, University Malaya and furthered his PhD study in Atomic Physics at Flinders University in 1985 with a Flinders Research Scholarship. He started as a Lecturer in 1989; was promoted to Associate Professor in 1994 and subsequently as Professor in 2001. Prof Ratnavelu’s research and academic achievements has been recognized and he was awarded the Malaysian Toray Science Foundation Science & Technology Award in 2004 and also the Young Scientist Award (Strategic Sector) in 1996 by MOSTE. He was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia in 2005. In 2006, he was awarded the Inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award by Flinders University. He has contributed to the scientific community in Malaysia in various capacities at MOE, MOHE and ASM. He is currently the Managing Editor of the Jurnal Fizik Malaysia (the leading physics journal in Malaysia). At University of Malaya, he served as a Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development) from 2010-2013. At the Faculty of Science, he had served as a Deputy Dean of Science (2003-2006) and acting Deputy Dean (1999-2000).