Dr. Prakash Malla retired recently as the Director of R&D at Thiele Kaolin Company, Sandersville, Georgia, USA where he worked for over 31 years. At Thiele, Prakash and his team were using fundamental and applied research in clay mineralogy, innovative mineral processing technology and surface chemistry techniques, and materials science of clay minerals to improve and develop new kaolin and silica products and processes to enhance the quality of paper coating and filling, and many other industrial applications such as paints and coatings, ceramics, plastics/polymers, adhesives, cement/concrete, etc. Dr. Malla was also involved in exploring the kaolin crudes, mine tailings, and process byproducts as a source for rare earth elements. Dr. Malla also spent 5 years in the area of materials science and engineering (Materials Research Laboratory) as a Research Associate at Pennsylvania State University where he developed special types of dehumidifying nanoporous and high surface area materials from pillared clays, silica gels, and zeolites for adsorbent based natural gas-fired air-conditioning systems. Prakash Malla earned a Ph.D. in Clay Mineralogy and Clay Chemistry from Rutgers University, New Jersey, where he studied the layer charge and nano-structural characteristics as well as charge heterogeneity of 2:1 layer clay minerals (smectite and vermiculite). He also holds a Certificate in Mid Management Program from Georgia Institute of Technology and an Executive Certificate in Management & Leadership from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Dr. Malla is very active in the Technical Association of Pulp and Paper (TAPPI) and has served in a variety of leadership roles, including the Chairman of the Coating, Printing and Surface Enhancement Division. For his outstanding contributions to TAPPI, Dr. Malla was presented with the 2014 Coating Division Leadership and Service Award and the Du Pont Soy Polymer Prize. Dr. Malla was selected Fellow of TAPPI in 2018 and Fellow of American Society of Nepalese Engineers in 2008.Dr. Malla is the past President of The Clay Minerals Society. He was awarded the 2024 George Brindley Clay Science Lecture which he delivered at the annual meeting of the The Clay Minerals Society on June 3, 2024 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Malla has authored and co-authored over 50 technical papers and book chapters, holds 16 U.S. patents, and presented over 50 presentations in national and international conferences. He also serves on the editorial board of Clays and Clay Minerals journal and Journal of Porous Materials.