Meera Chandrasekhar (ಡಾ. ಮೀರಾ ಚಂದ್ರಶೇಖರ್), is a Curators’ Teaching of Physics and Astronomy at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...

, United States. She is the recipient of the 2014 Baylor University'
Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching
Her research focuses on optical spectroscopy of semiconductors and superconductors under pressure. Meera has also developed several hands-on physics programs for students in grades 5–12, and summer institutes for K-12 teachers.

Early life and education

Chandrasekhar was born in Andhra Pradesh, India. Her father Chandrapal (ಚಂದ್ರಪಾಲ್) was an officer in the Indian Army, and her 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

Chandrapal obtained a B.Sc. degree from M.G.M.College, Udupi, in 1968, an M.Sc. from the

Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is a public technical university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. As one of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), it is recognized as an Institute of National Importance and has be ...

, India, and a Ph.D. from

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

, Providence, Rhode Island (1976). After a post-doctoral fellowship at Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart, Germany, she came to the

, Columbia, in 1978, where she is currently a professor in the department of physics and astronomy.

Research interests

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 ove
120 papers
in this area.

Educational interests

Chandrasekhar has an 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 o

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 5-12 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 o
Exploring Physics, a digital curriculum for conceptual physics

Honors

* 2014

Robert Foster Cherry Award The Robert Foster Cherry Award is a prize given biennially by Baylor University for "great teaching". The Cherry Award honors professors at the College or University level, in the English-speaking world, with established track records of teaching ex ...

for Great Teaching, Baylor University * 2013 Finalist,

for Great Teaching, Baylor University * 2008 Missouri Educator Award, Science Teachers of Missouri * 2006 Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching, University of Missouri * 2004 Curator's Distinguished Teaching Professorship, University of Missouri * 2004 Science Teachers of Missouri Distinguished Service Award * 2002 Distinguished Alumnus Award, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras * 1999 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring * 1998 Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching * 1997 William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence, University of Missouri * 1992 Elected Fellow of the American Physical Society * 1990 Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity in the Physical and Mathematical Sciences, University of Missouri * 1987 Purple Chalk award for Excellence in Teaching. College of Arts and Science Student Government * 1985 Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship * 1970 Bronze Medal and Certificate of Merit for the first rank in the M.Sc. class, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras * 1968 Gold Medal for distinction and first rank in the B.Sc. class, Mysore University * 1965-70 National Science Talent Search Scholarship sponsored by the Government of India

Interactions with popular media

Getting Girls to E=mc^2
Columbia Missourian, 1993.
Kemper Award
Columbia Missourian, 1997
Scientist who Mentors Girls gets Presidential Award
St. Louis Post Dispatch, 1999.

Making Strides Newsletter, News On Minority Graduate Education (MGE) Volume 2 Number 1 February 2000. By Virginia Van Horne, MGE Senior Research Associate.

References

External links

Blind to Polarization - What Humans do not see
(video) Lecture at Baylor University, October 2013.
Indian-American Wins Top US Teaching Award
The Economic Times, 18 January 2014.
Semiconductors and Superconductors Under High Pressure
Bangalore Science Forum Lecture (video), 5 July 2015.
Transforming Perceptions of Physics
IIT Madras - I & AR, Leadership Lecture series (video) 9 July 2015.

# ttp://www.kmzu.com/physics-now-mandatory-in-some-freshman-classrooms/ Physics now mandatory in some Freshman classrooms, KMZU 100.7 FM, Ashley Johnson, 15 September 2015
A conversation with Meera Chandrasekhar: This MU physics professor is bringing technology, gender balance and understanding to science education VOX magazine – By Arthur Cook Bremer, 3 December 2015
{{DEFAULTSORT:chandrasekhar, Meera 21st-century American physicists Indian emigrants to the United States American people of Indian descent American people of Telugu descent 1949 births Living people People from Udupi University of Missouri physicists Physicists from Missouri Women physicists Fellows of the American Physical Society