Sobti Family Fellowship Fund Supports Independent Research in India

Since 2007, the Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI) has provided funding to nearly 100 Penn undergraduate and graduate students for independent research and volunteer internships in India. In November 2013, the Center announced its first post-baccalaureate fellowship, the Sobti Family Fellowship Fund, created by Penn parents Rajiv Sobti, GR’84, and Slomi Sobti.

The Sobti Family post-baccalaureate fellow for the 2014-2015 year is Vignesh Selvakumaran. Selvakumaran will graduate this spring from the School of Engineering and Applied Science with a B.S.E. in Bioengineering. He will be working with Aurolabs at Aravind Eye Care System in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, to create a new, low-cost medical device for cataract surgery.

“I like using my hands and all my senses when working on something meaningful, and to me it doesn’t get much more meaning than making a product out of my own two hands that can help save lives,” says Selvakumaran.

Selvakumaran is no stranger to innovation. As part of his senior design requirement, his team invented a medical device that would allow physicians to access patients’ cardiovascular health during regular check-ups. They received the Honorable Berger Award and won third place in the Engineering School’s Senior Design Competition.

“This opportunity helps invest in Penn students beyond graduation,” says CASI Director, Madan Lal Sobti Associate Professor for the Study of Contemporary India, and Associate Professor of Political Science Devesh Kapur. “Through the Sobti Family Fellowship, a recent graduate can take his or her independent interests and research beyond the classroom towards real-world applications. CASI can now support a graduating senior to further develop ideas in the field and provide a bridge between undergraduate studies and future scholarly aspirations. We look forward to guiding Vignesh as he begins work in India this fall.”

The application deadline for the 2015-16 Sobti Family Fellowship is January 23, 2015 (11:59 pm EST). To read more about the fellowship, visit: http://casi.sas.upenn.edu/studentprograms/sobtifamilyfellowshipfund#sthash.kRvl4Uz4.dpuf

To view Vignesh Selvakumaran’s blog, visit: http://casistudentprograms.com/author/vigneshs4/

Arts & Sciences News

1 / 2
Fourteen from Penn Arts & Sciences Receive Fulbrights for 2025-26 Academic Year

They will conduct research, pursue graduate degrees, or teach English in places including Thailand, Austria, Indonesia, Moldova, and many other places.

View Article >
Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw Named James and Nan Wagner Farquhar Professor of History of Art

Shaw’s main areas of research include portraiture and issues of representation in the art of the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean, from the 1500s to the present day.

View Article >
Hanming Fang Named Inaugural Norman C. Grosman Professor of Economics

An applied microeconomist who integrates rigorous modeling with data analysis, Fang’s research within the field of public economics focuses on health insurance and healthcare markets.

View Article >
Xi Song Named Inaugural Schiffman Family Presidential Associate Professor of Sociology

Song’s research interests include social mobility, occupations, Asian Americans, population studies, and quantitative methodology.

View Article >
Julie Nelson Davis Named Paul F. Miller, Jr. and E. Warren Shafer Miller Professor of History of Art

Davis specializes in the arts and material cultures of 18th- and 19th-century Japan, with a focus on prints, paintings, and illustrated books.

View Article >
Justin Khoury Named Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Physics and Astronomy

Khoury’s research interests lie at the intersection of particle physics and cosmology.

View Article >