Niket Thakkar has received the University of Washington Graduate School Medal, a first for the department. Niket was a PhD student in UW Applied Math working with David Masiello, and successfully defended his dissertation in March.
The Graduate School Medal is a $5,000 award to a Ph.D., DMA, Au.D., DNP, DPT, or Ed.D. candidate who displays an exemplary commitment to both the University and its larger community. The Graduate School Medal recognizes the “scholar-citizens” whose academic expertise and social awareness are integrated in a way that demonstrates active civic engagement and a capacity to promote political, cultural and social change.
The Medal is funded from the UW Graduate Fellowship Fund, which is supported primarily by annual gifts from alumni and friends of the UW.
Niket has been an instructor at the Freedom Education Project Puget Sound (FEPPS), whose mission “is to provide a rigorous college program to incarcerated women in Washington and create pathways to higher education after women are released from prison.” Niket reports that FEPPS is often in need of science and math instructors.
See also:
– Volunteer at FEPPS
– Research page of The Masiello Group
– Recent work of the group featured in UW Chemistry News