A. Meenakshi McNamara
2023 and 2022 Astronaut Scholar, 2023 and 2022 Goldwater Scholar
Hometown
New Salisbury, IN
College
College of Science
Major
Physics Honors and Mathematics Honors
Meenakshi McNamara depicts the fearlessness of scientific exploration in pursuit of a career in physics. From a home-schooled background in rural Indiana to entering college in the global pandemic of 2020, Meenakshi took ownership of her education and quickly built a community in the collaborative environment of college and research. After joining a research group as a freshman, Meenakshi was immediately recognized for her talent in research and problem-solving as well as awarded the 2021 Outstanding Freshman in Physics by the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Unafraid, Meenakshi has pursued research questions together with Dr. Ephraim Fischbach, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, since fall 2020, when she first approached him with questions about his work that she had seen in an issue of National Geographic. Together with Dr. Andreas Jung, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Meenakshi not only excelled in a course-based research experience called, “Analysis of Big Data,” as part of the Data Mine living community, but also performed at the level of a graduate student by employing a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) to solve a MonteCarlo and computing challenge in High Energy Physics. While simultaneously carrying out an orthogonal research project with Dr. Fischbach, Meenakshi joined Dr. Jung’s research group in fall 2021.
It is noteworthy that Meenakshi was selected as a sophomore for both the Astronaut and Goldwater Scholarships, and based on continued advancement in undergraduate research, she secured an additional year of each scholarship. Beginning in January 2022, Meenakshi conducted research on quantum graphs with Dr. Rolando de Santiago, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, with whom she has presented on research. Beginning in January 2023, she applied techniques of algebra to graph theory in her research with Dr. Giulio Caviglia, Professor of Mathematics at Purdue. And while participating in two summers of Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), she has explored research topics from loop quantum cosmology to topology applied to problems in discreet math.
Meenakshi is a natural leader whose talents spill over into her community whether on the job as a math and physics tutor, outreach mentor and coach, or in the role of co-president for the Society of Physics Students at Purdue.