Professional Development Scholarship Winners for Spring 2024
Ayushi Ghelani
I am thrilled to announce my achievement of winning a Professional Development Scholarship from the Columbia Engineering Graduate Student Council. Currently pursuing a Master's in Management Science and Engineering at Columbia University, I hold an undergraduate degree in Electronics Engineering from VJTI Mumbai and possess 1.5 years of industry experience in the tech sector. This prestigious scholarship not only recognizes my academic prowess but also highlights my commitment to professional growth. With the invaluable support of Columbia's faculty and the financial aid provided, I am poised to enhance my industry readiness, enabling me to undertake strategic leadership roles with confidence and competence.
Panagiotis Oikonomou
Panagiotis (Panos) Oikonomou is a PhD candidate in the department of Biomedical Engineering. His work focuses on understanding the biomechanical underpinnings of the tremendous transformation that occurs as a developing embryo sculpts its tissues into organs, a process known as morphogenesis. Using the chick as a model system, our lab studies the endoderm, the innermost layer of cells in the embryo, that will eventually give rise to many of the organs of the digestive, respiratory, and endocrine system. Our focus is on understanding the genetic, molecular, and biophysical drivers of how this layer transitions from a mere flat sheet of cells into a closed tubular structure.
Sarah Cai
Sarah Cai is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. She is an NSF GRFP fellow in Professor Kam W. Leong's Nanotherapeutics and Stem Cell Engineering lab. Sarah is passionate about harnessing biotechnology to advance healthcare. Her current research focuses on the development of non-viral gene delivery systems targeting the brain for neurodegenerative diseases. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking for friends, playing mahjong, and singing with the Cecilia Chorus of New York.
Sean Kim
Sean is a Biomedical Engineering M.S. student at Columbia, focusing in Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship. He graduated summa cum laude from Saint Louis University with a B.S. in BME and a minor in Computer Science in 2023. Sean has a diverse background in medical device development, from technologies targeting Acute Ischemic Strokes to Intravenous Administrations at Euphrates Vascular, Baxter, and with the NSF I-Corps. In academia, his projects have spanned surgical robotics and machine learning to studying the mechanical behavior of large, elastic arteries and their remodeling in response to disease. Currently, he is focused on researching miniaturized wearable and implantable medical devices designed to enhance wound healing applications.
Siddharth Ananth
My name is Siddharth Ananth, a Master’s student in Computer Science at Columbia University, specializing in AR/VR technologies. I spearheaded the Quest2Learn project, enhancing STEM education through AR, positively impacting over 100 Johns Hopkins University affiliates. Additionally, I contributed to VirtuaLP, a VR simulation for medical training, recognized at IEEE VR 2024. My work focuses on leveraging AR/VR to improve educational and professional development, blending advanced technology with practical applications to pioneer new learning methodologies. My dedication to this field motivates my ongoing research and project development.
Kay Igwe
Kay Igwe is a doctoral student who, as part of the Juchem Lab, focuses on magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), which is a non-invasive technique used to measure biological chemicals in the body. She is specifically interested in the brain and the influence of various neurochemicals in the context of neurological diseases and psychiatric disorders.
William Wei
William is a first-year Chemical Engineering M.S./Ph.D. student in Professor Jingguang Chen’s Group. He received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering with Honors from UC Berkeley in 2023. Before joining Columbia, William conducted research on electrochemical systems at Caltech, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. His current research focus is on tandem catalytic processes for enhanced CO2 conversion.
