Who became the first Asian scientist to be chosen for the prestigious international Von Hippel Award of the Materials Research Society for his outstanding contributions to solid state and materials chemistry?

Introduction / Context:
The question asks about a very specific international honour in the field of materials science, the Von Hippel Award, and focuses on the first scientist from Asia to receive this distinction. This tests awareness of major global scientific awards and of prominent Indian scientists whose work has been recognised at the highest level. Knowing such awards is important for general knowledge exams, as it connects Indian scientific achievements with the wider international research community.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The award mentioned is the Von Hippel Award of the Materials Research Society.
- The question asks for the first Asian recipient of this award.
- Four names of prominent scientists are provided as options.
- We assume the options list well known researchers from physics and materials science, and that only one of them matches the historic fact of being the first Asian awardee.

Concept / Approach:
To answer this, we rely on factual recall about international scientific awards. The Von Hippel Award is the highest honour of the Materials Research Society. It is given for excellence in interdisciplinary materials research. The key idea is to identify which of the listed scientists is an eminent Asian materials scientist known to have received this award as the first person from Asia. Cross checking the nationality and field of each option helps to eliminate distractors and arrive at the correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that C N R Rao is an Indian chemist world famous for his work in solid state and materials chemistry. Step 2: Recall that the Von Hippel Award is an international honour in materials research given by the Materials Research Society. Step 3: Remember that C N R Rao was selected for the Von Hippel Award and is recorded as the first Asian recipient of this top level distinction. Step 4: Note that Charles Lieber, Marvin Cohen and Stuart Parkin are eminent Western scientists, but they do not match the description of being the first Asian selected for this specific award. Step 5: Therefore, among the given options, the only correct match is C N R Rao.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick way to verify is to connect the name of the award to materials research and then recall key Indian materials scientists with major global honours. C N R Rao has received many awards such as the Bharat Ratna and the Von Hippel Award. No other Indian or Asian scientist in the options has this exact combination of distinctions, which confirms the correctness of the answer. Exam preparation books on honours and awards also list C N R Rao as the first Asian to be chosen for the Von Hippel Award.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Charles Lieber is known for work in nanoscience and nanoelectronics, but he is not an Asian scientist and is not the first Asian recipient of this award.
Marvin Cohen is a US theoretical physicist known for work in condensed matter physics, not an Asian awardee of Von Hippel Award.
Stuart Parkin is a physicist recognised for work on spintronics and data storage technologies, but again he is not the first Asian recipient.

Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to choose a name that feels more familiar internationally, such as Charles Lieber or Marvin Cohen, without checking the key phrase first Asian. Another mistake is to confuse the Von Hippel Award with other international prizes in physics or chemistry, which might have different first Asian recipients. Students may also overlook Indian scientists in favour of Western names in global contexts. Carefully reading the phrase first Asian and associating materials research with C N R Rao avoids these traps.

Final Answer:
The first Asian scientist chosen for the prestigious Von Hippel Award of the Materials Research Society is C.N.R Rao.