Giving back to the community

As a scientist, I strongly believe that we must pass on the support the support that we receive from the community back to the public, and particularly, to next generation. Access to mentorship at an early stage is crucial, something that was rare as I grew up. So I very well understand the importance of visible role models and mentorship. I have been very fortunate throughout my grad school, to have received excellent mentorship and funding support from a public university and federally funded entities like NASA and NSF. Therefore, mentoship, particularly to the underprivileged students, and service are my main ways of giving back to the community.

With my interdisciplinary research interests in Astronomy as well as astrophotonics, I have developed a unique inter-disciplinary approach to community engagement in astronomy as well as optics/photonics. Here's a summary of some of my outreach and volunatry service efforts.
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Left: Python bootcamp at GRADMAP winter workshop 2018, Right: My mentees (DeOndre, Juzel, and Alexandra) presenting at the GRADMAP winter workshop

Mentorship & Leadership:

2021-Present	Currently mentoring a Caltech undergraduate student (Marcos Perez) on Simulating the performance of photonic spectrographs for exoplanet spectroscopy
2020-Present	Currently mentoring an undergraduate student (Harsha Pradeep) at the International School of Photonics on Optimizing tapers for high-efficiency on-chip photonic spectrographs
2018	Mentored a UMD undergraduate student (Meghna Sitaram) on building a near-infrared imaging system for on-chip photonic spectrographs
2018	Co-mentored two undergraduate students (DeOndre Kittrell and Rishap Lamichhane) on Simulation and design of kilonova observations with James Webb Space Telescope as a part of GRAD-MAP* Summer Scholars Program, University of Maryland. *GRAD-MAP is an initiative to increase the involvement of underrepresented minorities in physics and astronomy.
2018	Co-mentored three undergraduate students (Juzel Lloyd, DeOndre Kittrell, and Alexandra Iturralde) on GW170817 Evolution: Kilonova lightcurve and SED fitting as a part of GRAD-MAP winter school, University of Maryland
2017-18	Mentored two UMD undergraduates (Gregorio Zimerman and Yoav Margolis) on building demonstrations of a spectrograph and a coronograph in astronomy as a part of SPIE Educational Outreach (as a PI, awarded $3000 grant). We also published a paper on the educational kit that we built in this activity!
2017	Mentored a pre-college student on Search for Lensed Transients in iPTF Survey as a part of End Time Harvest Ministries Program
2014	Led a 10-member team of Mars Society India, IIT Bombay in the development of a prototype Mars rover and field trials at Arkaroola Mars Robot Challenge Expedition in Australia. A quick review here!
2011	Mentored a four membered team for NASA Space Settlement Design Contest and was awarded Specialty Honorable Mention in Life Sciences category

Hands-on work with students Gregorio and Yoav on the SPIE educational outreach project

Outreach Efforts:

2019	Served as an American Astronomical Society Ambassador for local outreach activities
2020-21	Created and led a popular science activity: Putting the Distant Worlds in the Right Spot for Maryland Day (3000+ visitors), as a part of SPIE Educational Outreach grant
2021	Served as a hand-on tutor for MCMC smapling techniques at the ZTF Summer School
2020	As a Univ of MD Graduate Innovation Fellow (2020), I learnt about innovation mindsets and coached participants in three creativity workshops on prototyping, improvisations, and feedback synthesis.
2020	Served as a hands-on tutor for optical and X-ray data analysis at the Zwicky Transient Facility Summer School
2018	Served as Python bootcamp mentor at GRAD-MAP Winter workshop, Univ of Maryland
2016	Delivered two science popularization talks at College Park Academy for high school students
2016	Volunteered at the 4th USA Science and Engg Festival with `Science Laser Spectacular' activity

Our spectrograph exhibit at Maryland Day (PI: Gatkine, as a part of SPIE outreach grant)

Academic Service

2019	Led a white paper on Astrophotonics for Astro2020 Decadal Survey
2019-Present	Science team member of NASA explorer mission study: CETUS - Cosmic Evolution Through UV Spectroscopy
2021	Review panelist for NSF Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation
2021	Review panelist for NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program
2017-Present	Referee for various high-impact journals: Optics Express, Optics Letters, Applied Optics, Journal of Optical Society of America (B), IEEE Photonics Journal, Photonics Research Journal
2021	Science Organizing Committee member, Keck Science Meeting, September 2021
2021	Review panelist, Keck & Palomar telescopes time allocation committee (TAC), 2021B and 2022A