When Anish Chaluvadi of Five Forks was growing up, his family would travel to India where both his parents were born and where many of his relatives still lived. Chaluvadi, who graduated from Clemson in May, said that during his visits he was struck by the planned electricity outages in the country.
“They literally have it over the summer during the hottest time, from like 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.,” he said. He watched as family members had to plan around the outages. “Everyone would just stay inside, everything would be silent because there was no access to electricity.”
After researching energy, he discovered outages like the ones he experienced in India were also found in rural areas in the United States. “If it’s that big of a problem, I would love to be a part of the solution,” Chalvadi said. He has been able to conduct research as a materials science and engineering major.
Photo providedChalvadi will pursue his interest in nanoscience and nanotechnology use in batteries at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. He’s the first Clemson student to win a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, which will fund both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. at the university. The recent Clemson graduate isn’t a stranger to Cambridge. Chalvadi was born there while his father was studying for his own doctorate.
“His selection reflects his research accomplishments and his passion for materials discovery, which have impressed a worldwide audience of fellowship reviewers,” said Kyle Brinkman, chair of Clemson’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, in a release.
“It’s kind of validating to know that the work I’ve been putting in for this long is paying off,” Chalvadi said. “I’ve been taking every step as a learning [opportunity].”
Chalvadi’s first day of classes at Cambridge is on Oct. 1.
