Associate Professor of Physics Smitha Vishveshwara will receive an inaugural Simons Foundation Fellowship in Theoretical Physics for the 2012/13 academic year. The Simons Foundation is a private organization whose primary mission is to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the physical sciences.
The 27 scholars chosen in this first-ever nationwide competition were selected by rigorous peer review on the basis of their proposed research plan. A condensed matter theorist, Vishveshwara will use the fellowship to study topological aspects and quantum dynamics of strongly correlated systems. She has previously made pioneering contributions to our understanding of the quantum-mechanical behavior of both solid-state materials and cold atomic gases.