Ishaan Singh

2025 Astronaut Scholar

Hometown

Carmel, Indiana

Major

Honors Physics; Biochemistry

College

College of Science; John Martinson Honors College

 

Recipient of the 2025 Astronaut Scholarship, Ishaan Singh was recognized for his promising research in microscopy and his potential to be a leader in his field. Poised among a select group of Lilly Scholars upon entering Purdue, Ishaan immediately joined Dr. Jing Liu’s lab in the Physics Department, where he has focused on the computational side for fluorescent lifetime imaging (FLIM) as well as super-resolution microscopy (dSTORM). His sophomore year, he joined Dr. Chi Zhang’s lab in the chemistry department, where he has worked on instrumentation and software for nonlinear optical imaging as well as opto-control of cellular processes.

 

Recognized as Outstanding Freshman and Outstanding Sophomore by the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ishaan persistently pursued a research career by applying to both the Goldwater and Astronaut Scholarships in the middle of his sophomore year. Both Astronaut Scholar and Goldwater Scholarship Nominee, Ishaan is motivated today as he was yesterday to collaborate in research and teaching.

 

He notes, “I love to teach and learn from others, and to work in a lab is to be a student and teacher to one’s lab mates.” Whether working as a teaching assistant to help Boilermakers learn, volunteering for events put on for high schoolers with Purdue Quiz Bowl and Science Olympiad, or founding and directing a 70+ member student orchestra, Ishaan’s enthusiasm for leading others through creative collaborations is a constant of his success.

 

Writing in strong support of his application, Dr. Jing Liu, Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Dr. Chi Zhang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry, witnessed the strength of Ishaan’s commitment to research.