Illinois Physics graduate student Shraddha Agrawal wins runner-up in APS historical essay contest

Illinois Physics graduate student Shraddha Agrawal was selected runner-up in the 2022 APS Forum on the History and Philosophy of Physics (FHPP) Essay Contest.

Agrawal's essay, “The sunny side of Anna Mani,” highlights the scientific achievements of Anna Mani, a female scientist who studied under Nobel laureate CV Raman, but whose work is often overlooked. According to Agrawal, Mani’s contributions to the physics of diamonds, weather instrumentation, and renewable energy research are still relevant today.

In her research, Agrawal uses ultracold atomic gases to explore novel topological phenomena. She is a member of the Illinois Physics Professor Bryce Gadway's research group, the second member of this group to receive an award in the FHPP Essay contest: Illinois Physics graduate student Garrett Williams won the 2020 FHPP Essay contest.

You can read Agrawal's essay here.