Meera Chandrasekhar

Chandrasekhar was born in Andhra Pradesh, India into an ethnic Kannadiga family. Her father Chandrapal was an officer in the Indian Army, and her mother Kusuma was a housewife. Growing up, she lived in several towns and cities across India. She is married to H. R. Chandrasekhar, a 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, India. She received her Ph.D. at Brown University in 1976. After a post-doctoral fellowship at Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, she arrived at the University of Missouri 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 over 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 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 5-12 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 of Exploring Physics, a digital curriculum for conceptual physics. Honors • 2014 Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, Baylor University • 2013 Finalist, Robert Foster Cherry Award 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. • An Interview with Meera Chandrasekhar Making Strides Newsletter, News On Minority Graduate Education (MGE) Volume 2 Number 1 February 2000. By Virginia Van Horne, MGE Senior Research Associate. ==References==