Nationality American Name Meera Chandrasekhar | Doctoral advisor Fred Pollak Fields Physics | |
 | ||
Alma mater Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College, Udupi B. Sc.,
Indian Institute of Technology Madras M.Sc,
Brown University, Ph.D Known for High pressure studies of semiconductors; Hands-on physics programs for K-12 school students and teachers Notable awards 2014 Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching; 1999 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring Books Space & Agenda 21: Caring for the Planet Earth | ||
Residence Missouri, United States Institutions University of Missouri | ||
Iit madras i ar leadership lecture series prof meera chandrasekhar
Dr. Meera Chandrasekhar (ಡಾ. ಮೀರಾ ಚಂದ್ರಶೇಖರ್), is a Curators’ Teaching of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. She is the recipient of the 2014 Baylor University's Robert Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great TeachingFoster Cherry Award for Teaching. optical spectroscopy of semiconductors and superconductors under pressure. Meera has developed hands-on physics programs for students in grades 5-12, and summer institutes for K-12 teachers.
Contents
- Iit madras i ar leadership lecture series prof meera chandrasekhar
- Family and Childhood days
- Education
- Academic Qualifications
- Research Interests
- Educational Interests
- About the Cherry Award
- Honors
- Employment Experience
- Interactions with Popular Media
- References
Family and Childhood days
Meera, was born in Andhra Pradesh, India. Her father Chandrapal (ಚಂದ್ರಪಾಲ್) was an army officer, and mother Kusuma (ಕುಸುಮಾ) was a home-maker. During her childhood she lived in several towns and cities across India. She is married to H.R.Chandrasekhar, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri. They have three children.
Education
Meera Chandrapal, obtained a B.Sc. degree from M.G.M.College, Udupi in 1968, an M.Sc. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India, and a Ph.D. from Brown University, Providence RI (1976). After a post-doctoral fellowship at Max-Planck-Institut für Festkorperforschung, Stuttgart, Germany, she came to the University of Missouri, Columbia in 1978, where she is currently a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Academic Qualifications
Research Interests
Dr. Meera Chandrasekhar's research interests are in the area of optical spectroscopy of semiconductors, superconductors, and conjugated polymers, with an emphasis on high-pressure studies. She has published over 120 papers in this area.
Educational Interests
Dr. Meera Chandrasekhar has a keen interest in education at all levels. At the university level she has restructured several courses in her department, and developed a physics course for elementary education majors that has an annual enrollment of over 140 students. Beginning in 1993, she led a series of programs for K-12 students and their teachers, supported by the National Science Foundation, and the Missouri Department of Higher Education. The programs included Exploring Physics for 5-7 grade female students, which focused on learning physics concepts through hands-on activities; Family Evenings with Science and Technology (FEST), a middle school parent and student program where each team built a miniature working drawbridge; Saturday Scientist, an industry based experience for 8-9 grade students designed to increase students' awareness of potential careers in the physical sciences; Newton Summer Science Academy for 9-11 grade girls, which integrated science, engineering and mathematics through a toy factory building project; and summer teacher academies for 5-9 grade science teachers. For her mentoring of young students, she received the Presidential Award for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) award in 1999. The most recent project, A TIME for Physics First, focuses on professional development and leadership training for science teachers so they can implement a yearlong course in physics at the 9th grade level. As part of this project, she and a colleague, Dorina Kosztin led the development of a digital curriculum for conceptual physics.
About the Cherry Award
The Cherry Award program at Baylor University is designed to honor great teachers, stimulate discussion in the academy about the value of teaching and encourage departments and institutions to value their own great teachers. Along with a record of distinguished scholarship, individuals nominated for the Cherry Award have a proven record as extraordinary teachers with positive, inspiring and long-lasting effects on students. As the 2014 Cherry Award recipient, Meera Chandrasekhar received a $250,000 award and an additional $25,000 for the Physics Department at the University of Missouri. She taught in residence at Baylor during the spring 2015 semester.