Four Georgia Tech Graduate Students -- Adhiraj Bhagat, Shravika Mittal, Srujan Penta, and Naoki Yokoyama -- are among the 50 recipients of the prestigious Quad Fellowship, an award for exceptional master's and doctoral students to study STEM fields in the United States. The Quad Fellowship, now in its second year, provides awardees from Australia, India, Japan, the US, and some Southeast Asian countries with $40,000 for academic support and networking opportunities with each participating country's top scientists, technologists, and politicians.
Bhagat, a PhD student in Aerospace Engineering, aims to develop novel high-speed air-breathing-propulsion combustor technologies to make supersonic transport sustainable. He is excited for the Quad Fellowship Summit in Washington, D.C., where he plans to network with innovators in the government, academia, industry, and other Fellows. Bhagat says, “Interacting with the other fellows will help me expand my knowledge-base and create opportunities for inter-disciplinary collaboration and the development of technologies that could have a major impact on the world around us.” Bhagat notes that the Prestigious Fellowships team helped him prepare his application and he is grateful for the mock interview, which made him feel much more confident going into the interview.
Mittal, a PhD student in computer science, will use her fellowship to support her ongoing research on understanding the impact of consuming publicly available content on opioid use disorder. As a Quad Fellow, Mittal aims to provide data-informed guidance to policymakers to address the stigmatization of marginalized communities in mass communication, social media, and AI systems. As a previous recipient of the Rising Star Doctoral Student Research Award in April 2024, Mittal says that she hopes to inform practices for sociotechnical systems where people can communicate freely, gain equitable knowledge, and build supportive communities.
Penta, a PhD candidate in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, works on bridging the gaps in developing standardized chiplet-based systems that are both more effective and more easily and affordably produced than a traditional system-on-a-chip. As a Quad Fellow, Penta hopes to democratize the semiconductor chip supply chain while providing education and employment opportunities to individuals from marginalized communities in STEM. Penta recognizes Dr. Karen Mura, the former Prestigious Fellowships Advisor, for her support during his 2024 Quad fellowship process.
Dr. Mura helped me with the review of the application material to articulate my journey and goals to the fellowship committee. The overall support from the office provided me confidence throughout the application process.
Yokoyama, a PhD candidate in Robotics, seeks to develop intelligent robots that can enhance independence and quality of life for people, such as the elderly and disabled. Yokoyama aims to use the Quad Fellowship to support his research in developing adaptive robot learning methods for assistive robotics applications. Also a recipient of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Fellowship and the Herbert P. Haley Fellowship at Georgia Tech, Yokoyama believes that the Quad Fellowship will help him create technologies that can positively impact lives across diverse communities.
Georgia Tech’s Prestigious Fellowship Advisor, Georgia Brunner, says that the Quad Fellowship represents an opportunity for students from across the globe to connect and further their academic and research goals.
The Quad Fellowship represents a unique opportunity for graduate students in STEM to network and find support. Many graduate-level fellowships are only open to U.S. citizens and residents, but the Quad allows some international students to apply for funding that will help them to flourish.
Brunner continues, “We are proud and so happy for Adhiraj, Naoki, Shravika, and Srujan. We know they will contribute important work to their respective fields while representing Georgia Tech in this important global network of scholars.”
The Office of Undergraduate Education is proud of these accomplished scholars and the vital work they continue to produce.
Apply for Fellowships:
Students or alumni interested in the Quad Fellowship, or any nationally or internationally competitive award, can follow up by scheduling an appointment with Georgia Brunner on Advisor Link or by emailing georgia.brunner@gatech.edu.