Professional Development Scholarship Winners for Spring 2025
Hannah Haider
Hannah Haider is a 2nd year doctoral candidate in the Cardiovascular Biomechanics Research Laboratory researching the use of cardiac digital twins for Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy patients. Her research focuses on optimizing the modelling workflow for diseased patients to align the predicted myocardial tissue deformation with clinical measurements. She also currently serves as the DEI chair of the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Association (MEGA). Outside of research, she enjoys reading, rock climbing, and playing with her cat.
Leonidas Taliadouros
I am a third-year PhD candidate at the Stochastic Engineering Dynamics Lab in the Department of Civil Engineering at Columbia University, supervised by Prof. Ioannis Kougioumtzoglou. My research focuses on developing data-driven techniques to quantify the uncertainties of complex dynamic systems subjected to stochastic excitations, while also exploring the potential of quantum computing in stochastic dynamics. I have a wide range of applications, from quantification of the cerebral response in patients with stroke history to determining the response of stochastic structural systems. Prior to joining Columbia, I earned a 5-year Diploma in Civil Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens.
Rama Bedri
Hello! My name is Rama Bedri. I am pursuing a MS in Earth and Environmental Engineering, concentrating on Water Resources and Climate Risks. My background includes a BS in Environmental Science and Policy from Chapman University, where I published research about streamflow conditions in the Colorado River and water whiplash in Mediterranean climates. I am passionate about the intersection of climate issues and environmental justice and hope to engineer equitable solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental and water problems. In my free time, I love to go on long walks in Central Park and make matcha lattes at home!
Erica Bonheur
Erica is a Biomedical Engineering M.S. student at Columbia University, specializing in Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship. She earned her B.S. in BME from Columbia University as well. She is a co-founder of Revive-a-Rhythm, developing a CPR assistive device with patent-pending technology to make life-saving compressions more accessible. Additionally, she is a research assistant and lead engineer at the AI4VS Lab, working on an eye phantom to simulate strabismus and improve surgical outcomes. Passionate about advancing medical technology, Erica aims to work at the intersection of healthcare and innovation to develop impactful solutions that enhance patient care and accessibility.
Karthik Sreedhar
Karthik Sreedhar is a current master’s student in the Computer Science and Journalism dual degree program at Columbia, and will be starting his PhD in Computer Science at Columbia in the fall. He has been doing research on identifying mechanisms and other setup conditions for generative multi-agent LLM systems towards being able to simulate realistic human behaviors to help policymakers test their proposals in low consequence environments. He completed his undergraduate degrees at the University of California, Berkeley, studying Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, and History.
Aya Lahlou
Aya Lahlou is a PhD candidate in Earth and Environmental Engineering at Gentine Lab. Her research integrates machine learning into land surface models to unlock deeper insights into phenology dynamics representation and enhance our representation of the terrestrial carbon cycle in land system models. With a background in Data Science, she previously applied AI to energy and water infrastructure management in developing countries before shifting her focus to Earth system modeling. Born and raised in Morocco, she enjoys live music, figure drawing, and playing ultimate frisbee.
Roshan Kenia
Roshan is a Master's student in Computer Science, currently in his final semester. He earned his B.S. in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from Stony Brook University. His research began in genomic deep learning, later shifting to computer vision for nuclear engineering and now biomedical image analysis. He completed a co-op at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, working on axon centerline detection, ultrasound microbubble tracking, and automated femoral needle insertion. At Columbia University’s AI for Vision Science Lab, he applies multi-task learning for glaucoma detection using 3D optical coherence tomography volumes. In his free time, he enjoys playing squash and gardening.
Nimish Jha
A passionate Masters in Financial Engineering student with a keen interest in quantitative modeling and algorithmic trading. Outside academics, I enjoy strategic video games, poker tournaments, and exploring cutting-edge technology.
Siwanta Thapa
Siwanta is a multidisciplinary engineering professional with expertise in neuroscience, spintronics, photonics, plasma physics, and semiconductor quality assurance.
Elliott Fix
Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Elliott graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia with a BS in 2020 and MS in 2022, both in Electrical Engineering. His prior research at Temple, Argonne National Lab, Siemens, and the US Navy examined grid-connected power electronics inverters for renewable energy applications and the black start of inverter-based microgrid power systems. With MPlab, he investigates the electromagnetic compliance of inverters for renewable energy and electric vehicle applications. After his PhD, Elliott plans to advise technology policy decisions in Congress, and maybe one day campaign to represent his home state of Pennsylvania.
