Bhadra Fellowship

In memory and recognition of Dilip K. Bhadra – one of the first graduate students at UC San Diego in the Department of Physics – an endowed fund was established by Marsha Penner (BA '68, '72) to provide an annual award to a student in physics. The Dilip K. Bhadra Ph.D. '65 Graduate Fellowship in Theoretical Physics will be used by the Department of Physics to provide fellowship support for the benefit of graduate students specializing in theoretical physics at UC San Diego.

AWARD DETAILS

As one of UC San Diego's charter graduate students in 1960, Dilip K. Bhadra (Ph.D. '65) came to the then-newly-established University from Presidency College in India because of the high caliber of our faculty and unique, seaside location. Dr. Bhadra went to work at nearby General Atomics after obtaining his Ph.D. in theoretical physics. In 1964, he met one of UC San Diego's charter undergraduate students, Marsha Penner (BA '68, '72). After spending over four decades as partners in life and enjoying together all of their many shared interests and adventures, Dr. Bhadra passed away in 2015.

Earlier this year, Marsha established the Dilip K. Bhadra Ph.D. '65 Graduate Fellowship in Theoretical Physics with a commitment of $275,000. "I wanted to honor Dilip's memory and inspire the next generation of Ph.D. students the same way that Dilip inspired everyone who met him and learned from him" says Marsha, who lives full-time in San Diego and remains an active member of the UC San Diego alumni community. Dr. Bhadra's legacy will continue on through the opportunities this fellowship will create for students and faculty.

Abolfazl Hamounian graduated from the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2021 with a B.S. in Physics and Sharif University of Technology in 2024 with a Master of Science in Physics (Complex Systems). Abolfazl is interested in Biophysics and has a solid background in data-driven analytics. Abolfazl will be joining the Physics Department in the fall of 2024.

Lawson Fuller graduated from the University of Arizona in 2017 with a B.S. in Physics. Nominated by Chair Shpyrko following the passing of his advisor Henry Abarbanel, Lawson did a remarkable job of completing his degree in theoretical biophysics on time and with distinction, despite this significant setback. Upon receiving his Ph.D. in Spring 2024, Lawson secured a job in San Jose and has a bright career ahead of him as a physics researcher.

Shruti Singh graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology in 2014 with a Bachelor of Technology in Engineering Physics. Shruti received her Ph.D. in Summer 2023. Throughout Shruti's time at UC San Diego, she was an outstanding theorist and graduated with a thesis combining physics and jazz music. 

Alex Plum graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 2021 with a B.S. in Engineering Physics and Mathematics and certificates in Physics and Computer Science. In his undergraduate years, Alex engaged in theoretical and computational research on the chemical origins of life. As a Physics (Biophysics) Ph.D. student, he is interested in quantitative biology and the physics of living systems. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, endurance running, and public philosophy.

Fredy Ramirez graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2019 with a B.A. in physics and a minor in mathematics. At his undergraduate institution, Fredy was involved in a variety of research projects ranging from condensed matter to plasma physics. He is now interested in pursuing research in transport and plasma turbulence using computational methods. Outside of science, Fredy also likes mountain biking, fishing, and DJing.