Oden Institute Awards 2024 Undergraduate Scholarships

Graham F. Carey Computational Science Scholarship

Kevin Han, a computational physics, astronomy, and mathematics triple major at The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Natural Sciences, has been awarded the 2024 Graham F. Carey Computational Science Scholarship.

The award honors Professor Carey’s revolutionary contributions to computational sciences. The $2,500 scholarship is awarded annually, giving preference to undergraduates undertaking the Computational Engineering and Sciences Certificate program, as well as those who participate in the Oden Institute’s Moncrief Summer Internship. 

Han’s interest in physics and computational sciences stemmed from a childhood desire to understand how human consciousness interacted with nature and the environment. In collaboration with Robert Moser, Oden Institute Deputy Director and core faculty member, through the Moncrief Summer Internship, Han built a neural network to predict the dissipation term in the Reynold’s Stress Transport Equation. “It showed some hopeful results, and I gained a strong footing in using Python to optimize algorithms that clean and convert data,” he shared, adding that “the work I did with Dr. Moser served as a spark that ignited my curiosity for the potential that mathematics had in explaining natural phenomena.”

Currently, Han is working with Chandrajit Bajaj, Director of the Computational Visualization Center, studying deep reinforcement learning algorithms and the mathematical theory behind them. His work in the field opened his eyes to groundbreaking ideas that “explained the inner workings of the environment, but also of the intelligent beings within.” He aims to pursue a Ph.D. in the field following graduation, and hopes to “become a research scientist and contribute to a project involving artificial intelligence that could make the world a better place.”

 

Ivo & Renata Babuška Scholarship

Debarghya Chaki, a biomedical engineering major at The University of Texas at Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering has been awarded the 2024 Ivo & Renata Babuška Scholarship. This award is funded through the Ivo & Renata Babuška Endowed Excellence Fund, honoring Dr. and Mrs. Babuška’s commitment to encouraging and supporting the next generation of scientists and engineers. 

The $1,000 award recognizes and supports the studies of exceptional senior-level undergraduate students at the University of Texas at Austin who are undertaking research at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences. 

An aspiring clinician-scientist, Chaki works in the Dynamic Medical Imaging and Computing lab under the guidance of Edward Castillo. His work focuses on machine learning aided segmentation of the left ventricle from echocardiograms, in collaboration with physicians from Dell Medical School. 

He is also working on a project to identify the biomechanical material parameters of lung tissue derived from non-contrast CT scans, in an effort to quantify lung disease progression and enhance early detection. “Computational imaging research is at the forefront of clinical development,” said Chaki. “This experience has allowed me to contribute to research that may very well be used in the clinic to aid patient diagnosis.”

Driven by his experiences as an EMT and student researcher, Chaki aims to perform medical research and become a physician to bring advancements to clinical care. “The techniques and topics I have discovered through working with Dr. Castillo will aid me through my journey as a researcher and clinician,” Chaki shared, adding that his mentor had “encouraged me and given me direction as to what my path in medical research will be.” 

Kevin Han and Debarghya Chaki’s achievements were recognized at an Oden Institute Awards Ceremony on May 2, 2024.

Donations to supplement the Carey Scholarship may be made online here. 
Donations to supplement the Ivo & Renata Babuška scholarship may be made online here.