Narayanamurti is the John A. and Elizabeth S. Armstrong Professor of Engineering and Applied Science, and Dean and Professor of Physics at Harvard University. He is the former Dean of the College of Engineering and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of CA, Santa Barbara, 1992-1998. He was Vice President of Research and Exploratory Technology, Sandia National Laboratories, 1987-1992.

His awards and honors include: elected member of the National Academy of Engineering; Foreign member, Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences; Fellow of the American Physical Society, Indian Academy of Sciences and American Association for the Advancement of Science; Distinguished Visiting Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, 1992-1998; the Medal of Service, University of Helsinki; the Excellence in Service Award, South Coast Business and Technology Forum, 1996; the Innovator of the Year Award, Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce, 1997; and the Physicist of the Year Award, American Chapter, Indian Physics Association, 1993.